Perchance to Dream
by omgResidentEvilwtf
Summary: Old title: Wrong Place, Wrong Time - How can one of the most famous shipwrecks in the history of man change the lives of two individuals? A freak accident changes London and Zack forever as they fight for survival and their own feelings for each other.
1. Chapter 1

**This is uncharted territory for me. I've never written the Suite Life before, and I've never done a storyline like this. Also, there's not enough london/zack as there should be more. Well, I hope you enjoy. All reviews accepted (criticism, flames, w/e)!  
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**Chapter One**

Zack Martin leaned against the Sky Deck rail in his Tuxedo as he sipped on his Pepsi. He was at a party, but he really wasn't that into it. Mosby threw it to entertain and schmooze the wealthy that stayed on the ship. As he shook his head and took another drink, somebody grabbed him from behind and shoved him down.

"What the—" be started but was cut off as London Tipton put a finger over her mouth to indicate silence.

"This is boring as butt. Let's get out of here," she whispered.

Zack couldn't help but agree and nodded his head, letting London lead the way towards the stern of the ship, where she knew nobody would be at this time of the night.

"Thanks for bailing me out, but won't Mosby notice that we're gone?" Zack said as the stern railing came into view.

"Who cares," London said, leaning back against the rail, taking a sip of her drink, making a face as she did so, "He's too busy kissing ass to notice anyway. Drink?" She held out the glass to Zack.

He laughed as he accepted the drink. An agitated London was fun to watch, as she tended to swear sometimes. He took a drink and made a face. It tasted like Coke, but he could also taste a small amount of whisky. "How'd you even get this?' he asked, handing the drink back to the twenty year old, who also took another drink.

London smiled and then suddenly frowned, as if something was troubling her. "Hey Zack, how come you never flirt with me?" Zack's eyes widened as London continued. "I see you flirt with pretty girls all the time. But why not me? Am I not good enough looking?"

"What!" sputtered Zack. "That's not—I mean-you're undeniably beautiful!" Zack paused for a second before speaking again, "I really like you, more than I'd admit to. It's just…"

Zack knew he was treading uncharted waters. He really enjoy the time he spent with London. She had come to drop her 'airhead' persona to reveal that she was an intelligent person, which Zack had already known. They shared a lot with each other, and he considered her his best friend, along with Zack of course.

"…you can have any guy you choose, and he would be crazy to not want you. Guys who are rich, famous, and have it all. I can't offer you any of those things. I can't even—"

His mouth stopped moving after London put a finger on his lips. She was now so close, he could smell her designer perfume. "You're right," She quietly said. "I _can_ have any guy that I want. But I don't want just _any_ guy. I want…"

It was as if some invisible force began pulling the two into each other, as they both leaned in, eyes locked on each other's. Just when they both thought they were going to do _it_, the whole ship shook violently, making the pair collide with each other, and with the combination of their weight and momentum, threw them over the ship's rails.

Zack heard London scream as he felt himself tumble over the rail. He tried to grab hold of the rail, but missed it by mere inches as he began to fall towards the ocean. London was still latched to him screaming bloody murder, and Zack's vision was overtaken by white light. He waited to hit the water. Instead, the pair landed on solid ground, emitting a loud _thud!_ as they did.

"Uggh, what happened?" asked London as she rolled off of Zack, voice strained with pain.

"I don't know, but are you alright?" Zack asked, opening his eyes to discover he was lying face down on the deck, which confused him to no end.

"My back hurts, but I'll be fine." croaked London. "But I swear I thought I was thrown overboard."

Zack opened his mouth to answer, but a loud scream stopped him. He turned around to see a few yards away from him a man shouting for help as he struggled to hold on to what looked to be another person, and they both looked on the verge of falling over the back of the ship. Zack immediately forced himself off the deck and ran towards the man, as did London, to give assistance. They arrived to see a blonde man holding onto a redhead woman who struggled to keep her grip, obviously not wanting to fall several feet to the ocean. Zack leaned over and grabbed a hold of the woman's arm while London grabbed a hold of the blonde man, who was trying to keep himself from falling over as well.

"Alright, on three!" Zack shouted. "One…two…three!" He, London, and the blonde man pulled as hard as they could, finally managing to get the woman back over the rail, and all four of them fell to the deck in a tangled heap of bodies.

"What's going on here!" yelled an approaching crewman. He looked at the crying redhead; her dress was torn and the bottom of her dress had been pushed up. The blonde man was on top of her, and looked worse for wear. London and Zack had separated themselves from the pile. It was easy for the crewman to start drawing conclusions.

"You stand back! Don't move!" he shouted to the blonde man, and then turned to London and Zack. "Stand off to the side. Go and get the Master at Arms," he said as two more crewman approached. A few minutes later, a burly man is handcuffing the blonde while another man in a tuxedo is yelling in his face, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

"What makes you think you can put your filthy hands on my fiancée? Look at me! What did you think you were trying to pull!" the tuxedo man shouted.

"Cal, stop!" the redhead said. "It was an accident."

"An accident?" tuxedo man, Cal, questioned.

"It's…stupid really. I was leaning over the rail and I slipped," Rose said, giving the blonde a quick look. "I was leaning over, trying to see the… uh…"

"Propellers?" Zack quipped.

"Yes! And I somehow slipped and almost went overboard. Mr. Dawson and those other two here saved me and almost fell over themselves!"

"You wanted to see the propellers?" Cal asked, shaking his head.

"Well, is that the way of it?" the burly man turned to Zack and London.

"Pretty much. If it wasn't for the blonde, the redhead would have gone over. We just happened to see and offered our help," London lied, essentially bailing out Dawson and closing the case.

Cal grunted, and then nodded his head, and the burly man took the cuffs off of Dawson. Without a second look back, Cal grabbed the redhead and began to make his way off until another man stopped and whispered something to him.

"Ah, right then. A hundred should do it."

"It that the going rate for saving the woman you love?" asked the redhead, not looking happy.

"Hmm, Rose is displeased," Cal said, looking over Dawson, whose clothes were wrinkled and dirty. "Perhaps you can join us for dinner tomorrow, to retell your heroic deed."

Dawson shrugged. "Sure I guess."

Cal then turned to Zack and London. "Ah, Mr…"

"Martin," Zack answered.

"Martin. You and your missus are also welcome to join our table. You should be able to find it," Cal finished, looking them up and down, and then taking the redhead, Rose, with him as he left, as did the burly man and the other crewman.

Dawson let out a breath. "Thanks for backing me up," he said, turning to Zack and London and extending a hand. "I'm Jack Dawson."

"Zack Martin," he said, shaking Jack's hand. He then pointed to London, "This is London Tipton." Jack leaned down and kissed the top of her hand, causing her to giggle and Jack to grin.

"Always wanted to do that." Jack then looked up to the sky. "I suppose I should get back. I've had enough thrills for one night." He waved slightly and turned, headed to wherever he was staying, now leaving Zack and London alone.

Only now did they get a chance to take in their full surroundings, and what they saw puzzled them greatly. It was as if they were staring at a picture of early 1900's ship design. The Tipton's bright colors and curves were gone, and the stern was much larger with more open deck space than the Tipton.

"I think I'm hallucinating," Zack said, rubbing the side of his aching head. "I'm seeing things."

"You're not the only one. And my head feels like a ripe watermelon ready to split," said London. "Maybe I shouldn't have had that last drink."

"C'mon, I'll take you to your room," Zack said, linking his right arm with London's. Not really knowing where to go, Zack led London a ways down the side of the ship, entering the first door he saw, which was manned by a valet, who opened it for the couple. Their jaws dropped.

"Uhhh, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," sputtered Zack.

The room was lively and large. A giant wooden staircase that led to lower decks took up a majority of the space. Overhead of the staircase, a giant glass dome served as the roof. People mulled about, going up and down the stairs and entering and leaving hallways.

"Care for a drink?" a waiter in a white suit presented a tray. Zack and London both grabbed a glass, quickly downed the liquid, and set the empty glasses back on the tray.

Zack put his hands in his pockets to try and calm himself, where he then felt something in his left pocket. He retrieved two folded sheets of paper. Opening one up, he saw what looked to be a ticket. Not fully reading it, he quickly scanned it over, spotting London's name. Next to it indicated a room number. B58

"I guess this is where we go," Zack said, leading London down a corridor labeled 'B Deck'. They didn't speak, too shocked and confused to form words. Eventually, they came to an oak door labeled B58. Zack dug in his pocket again, and retrieved an old fashion key he'd never seen before. He automatically assumed it was for the door, so he inserted it and turned it. The lock clicked, and he pushed open the door, revealing a large suite. To be safe, Zack opened looked through all the connected rooms to see if anybody was in.

"Well, nobody is—" Zack stopped talking, seeing London promptly passed out on a couch. Seeing she had the right idea, he, flopped into an overstuffed lounge chair. The ticket still in his hand, he decided to examine it a little more.

_White Star Line Presents:_

'_**Titanic'**_

_The Largest and Most Luxurious Ship in the World!_

Zack promptly passed out, the ticket fluttering to the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Kinda a boring chapter. Just setting things up. Next chapter and beyond will be much more interesting, lol. Thanks for the review U guys have left. Highly appreciated. As always, forgive my editing mistakes.**

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Chapter Two

Zack slowly opened his eyes, instantly regretting it. He slapped the side of his head then pinched his arm trying to get out of the 'dream', but he opened his eyes again and still saw the wood paneled walls and outdated furniture. He groaned, looking at his wristwatch, which read 9 am. He moved himself into a sitting position to see that London was awaking as well.

"Where are we?" London asked, sitting up. "I was hoping I was drunk last night and just imagining things."

"Yet we're still here," Zack finished, looking to the floor, where he noticed the ticket. He picked it up and inspected it. He saw London's signature on the bottom in calligraphy, which surprised him. The top of the ticket read _Titanic_, and below that was a date: _April 10, 1912_.

"This can't be right," Zack said, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "According to this ticket, we're on a ship that set sail nearly a hundred years ago."

"Even I know that's not possible," London noted.

"Well, it's got your name at the bottom." London raised an eyebrow and moved to look over Zack's shoulder at the ticket, which indeed was signed by her.

"That is my signature, but I definitely do not remember signing anything crazy like this," she said, now totally lost.

"Me either," Zack said, looking at the second ticket that was signed by him. "Where have I heard the name _Titanic_ before? Have you?"

London's face lit up in _that_ way when she knew something. "Actually I have. It's pretty famous; or infamous, whichever you choose. Lots of years ago, it was a ship on its first trip to New York, but instead it ended up—" London's face fell, as if suddenly remembering something important. "Oh no. No no no no no…!"

"What's wrong?" asked Zack, worried by London's sudden panic.

London shook her head furiously. "For once, I hope to god that I'm wrong." She indicated the ticket; "If this thing is any clue to where we are at right now, then we're as good as…" she trailed off.

Zack was now extremely confused and worried. "What the hell are you talking about?"

London sighed before starting, "The _Titanic_, it's… a legend because it… sank. Hit an iceberg. Large loss of life. It never had a chance." She turned to Zack, who looked like _he_ just got hit by an iceberg. He opened and closed his mouth several times looking for words. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, he spoke.

"H—how do you know all that?"

London let a tiny smile rise. "I'm ashamed to admit, but I've been fascinated with ships and shipwrecks since I was a little kid."

"Hmm, I knew you were smarter than you let on," Zack smirked, but it quickly disappeared. "Well, we're still not totally sure if we're really on the _Titanic. _For all we know, this could just be a sick joke of some kind. Or maybe we're dreaming and this is just a wild imagination of ours," he said, looking for any reason other than what London was indicating.

"It feels real," London quietly said. Zack frowned but nodded.

A knock cut through their thoughts. Not knowing who it could be, London opened the door.

"Oh! Did I wake you? I'm sorry!" the redhead, Rose said.

"No it's okay. Come on in," London said, opening the door further so Rose could enter. She sat down on the couch, looking a little bit nervous.

"Well, about last night… I would like to thank you guys for helping to save my life."

"Our pleasure. We're here to serve and protect," London said.

"What, all of a sudden we're LAPD?" Zack quipped, earning a playful slap on the side from London as they laughed.

Rose watched the exchange and instantly knew she could trust these two with what she was about to reveal. "I also came to tell you the real reason why I was hanging off the back of the ship."

Zack and London's laughter quickly died. They both looked at Rose, who looked even more uncomfortable.

"You can trust us. Whatever you have to say will not leave this room," Zack said, looking to London, who nodded in agreement.

Rose also nodded. "Thank you. Okay. Well… the truth is… I was not trying to see the…um…propellers, but was trying to… take my own life."

London gasped, and Zack's jaw dropped. "Why! To what end?" he managed to blurt out.

"Thankfully, Mr. Dawson was there from the beginning, and he talked me out of it. I actually slipped when I tried to climb back over. But what am I saying? You guys must think I am insane. But I'm tired of being told what to do, where to go, and what to say. I feel like a dog on a leash!. And on top of it all, I am forced into a marriage I never wanted!" Rose's face was now a light shade of red, and beginning to fill with anger.

"I know how you feel," said London truthfully.

"So wait. That penguin from last night is your old man?" questioned Zack.

"Almost," Rose showed them her engagement ring.

Zack's eyes widened. "Damn that thing's huge! Oh, and by the way, no offense, but that guy looks and sounds like a total dickhead."

Rose tried to suppress a laugh, but failed horribly as the room filled with laughter from the trio. "Yea, he's a dickhead," she managed through a fit of giggles. "Oh my, I have to get going. Cal is expecting me to join him for breakfast. Would you two like to join us?" asked Rose, looking at the click on the wall, seeing it was 9:30.

"Sure why not? It's not like we have anything better to do," Zack said, opening the door for Rose. "Just give us a couple seconds to change." Rose nodded her head and exited the suite.

"Should we tell them?" London asked once Rose had left.

"No way," Zack instantly responded.

"Why not? If this really **is** the _Titanic_, we could possibly prevent it from—"

"Have you ever seen '_Back to the Future'?_" started Zack, cutting off London before she could finish. "When they first went back, they screwed up the timeline and almost wiped themselves off the face of the Earth." London just raised her eyebrows, and Zack sighed. "What I'm saying is that if we somehow stop the ship from sinking, we could mess up our own timeline. Everything and everybody we've ever known could cease to exist. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

London was quiet for a beat. "So what do we do now? Just sit around and wait, knowing half the people here are going to die! I won't do that!"

"Look!" Zack half shouted, his agitation rising. "I know how you feel, but we're still not even sure if we're actually on the _Titanic_. For now, we'll just play along, okay? And we'll keep our eyes out for anything information that can help us. It's all we can really do right now."

London sighed, not happy, but she understood. "I guess you're right. I'll go and change."

Zack nodded and watched her enter the bedroom. About a minute later, he heard her scream. He rushed to the bedroom and threw open the door. "What's wrong? Oh my—" Zack quickly covered his eyes with his hands, as he had burst in on a half naked London.

"There is no way in **hell** I am wearing a corset! These things are **so** out of style!" London said, sounding disgusted. "Although, they do make my boobs bigger…"

"Oh god… I'll be leaving now," Zack mumbled in embarrassment, but he quickly sneaked a peek before shutting the door. He just shook his head and headed to the bathroom to tame his wild hair. He took off his bowtie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. Just as he finished and left the bathroom, London appeared from the bedroom wearing a casual (at least for the time period) dark green dress with an outrageously large sun hat.

"Nice hat," Zack quipped.

"Thanks. Did you enjoy your free show?" London shot back, trying to break the tension from earlier. She grinned as Zack stumbled for words and cleared his throat several times. "Come on, let's go. I'm hungry."

The two exited their suite the same time as Rose and Hockley, as well as an older redhead woman. Rose spotted them and introductions were exchanged. Zack and London trailed behind Rose's party so they could admire the surroundings. The sun shined through the glass dome above the staircase and brightened the room. They took the staircase down to the next deck and into a restaurant labeled the 'Palm Court'. They joined a table where a broad-shouldered woman and two men sat, and more pleasantries were exchanged.

"The _Titanic_," Ismay, the owner of the ship began, "She's the largest moving object made by the hand of man in all of history. Our master shipbuilder, Thomas Andrews…" he indicated the handsome Irish man to his right, "…he designed her from the bottom up."

Andrews smiled, not much for attention, "Well, I may have built here, but it was Mr. Ismay who envisioned a liner that was far superior to anything else in existence. And here she is," he slapped his hand on the table, "Reality."

"So hey," London began, "Why are ships always being called 'she'? Is it cause men think that lots of women have big 'sterns' and should be weighed in tons?"

The table shared a laugh.

"Just another example of men settin' the rules their way," Molly, the broad-shouldered woman added.

A waiter arrived and began taking orders. Rose lit up a cigarette, much to the disgust of her mother. Zack couldn't help but snigger, knowing that she probably did it just to piss off her mother and Hockley. And then Hockley ordered for himself and Rose, not even letting her get a word in.

Molly noticed this as well. "So, you gonna cut her meat for her to there, Cal?" She then turned towards Ismay. "Anyway, who thought of the name _Titanic_ anyhow? Was it you?"

"Yes, actually. I wanted to convey its size. And size means stability, speed, strength, and above all, luxury."

Rose turned towards Ismay. "Have you heard of Dr. Freud, Mr. Ismay? His ideas about men's preoccupation with size might be of interest to you." Rose then excused herself and walked out to the promenade deck.

Andrews almost choked on a breadstick trying to contain laughter, and Zack folded his arms on the table and buried his head to suppress his laughter. After a few seconds, he sat back up and tried to recover. Seeing London's confusion, he whispered into her ear.

"Freud, uh, around this time, he was really big into studying the size and stamina of men's, uhh…" he motioned down towards his crotch, "…junk." London's eyes went wide and her mouth formed an 'o', and Zack nearly fell off his chair laughing.

Rose's mother, Ruth, was obviously mortified. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what's come over her lately."

"She's a piston Cal. Hope you can handle her," Molly noted, laughing openly.

Hockley was obviously tense, but he tried to hide it. "Well, I might have to start minding what she reads from now on." He rose from the table to follow Rose, but Zack stopped him.

"Relax man. She's probably still shaken up about last night. Let her be."

Hockley paused for a second and then seemed to accept this. "I suppose you're right. I can retrieve her later. May I escort you back to your room Ruth?" Ruth agreed, obviously still embarrassed and wanting to get away. Once they were out of sight, Rose's head popped out from the outside deck, mouthing a 'Thank You'. London and Zack gave her a thumbs up, and Rose went on her way.

"So Freud… who is he? A passenger?" Ismay questioned, causing Zack to shake his head at the fool.

But his mood was quickly killed when he began to realize the possibility that himself and London were **actually** on the _Titanic_.


	3. Chapter 3

Long chapter, but rightfully so. I really appreciate the reviews Ive received so far, so keep em coming. If you want an idea of what London is wearing in this scene, check this out: www(dot)siamese-style(dot)com/Wedding/thaiweddingdressinred3(dot)html Replace the (dot) with an actual period. Also, sorry for any mistakes/misspells in advance. It is 3Am as I upload this.

By the way, Woody wears the most awesome t-shirts.

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Chapter Three

Zack and London spent the past few hours wandering around the ship trying to figure out what was going on. They talked to people, even running into Mr. Andrews (the shipbuilder) again, where he provided the statistics of the ship, such as its length, height, passenger count, and other things. Finally, after a few hours and London complaining about how her feet hurt, they gave up and leaned against the poop deck rail, watching the sky turn orange as the sun began to set.

"I think it's pretty obvious," London noted, rubbing her sore feet.

"Well, we still can't be sure. Maybe…" Zack trailed off, knowing his statement would get nowhere.

"You heard them at breakfast, and even Andrews! Look around you," London indicated the ship, as if it wasn't evidence enough.

Zack sighed deeply. "I know, I know… you're right. It's just… this is some heavy stuff being dropped on us at short notice."

London nodded in agreement. "I know. But whatever happens, we'll figure it out and get through it. I know it."

Zack couldn't help but smile. London was always a stubborn person who didn't know the meaning of giving up. This was one of her qualities that Zack had the upmost respect for. When she put her mind to it, nothing seemed impossible, even now. Knowing somehow London was upbeat about the situation, this lifted his spirits a little as well. He suddenly looked at his watch to stop his mind from venturing onto London and somewhere it didn't belong.

"Hey, we should probably head back, cause it's almost time for dinner."

London nodded. "Okay, but let's take it slow. My feet are still killing me!"

"You know," Zack started, "I would carry you, but I don't think I could make it that far." He saw London raise a finger to protest, so he added, "And no, I am **not** saying you're fat, before you jump me."

This silenced London, and Zack basked in the silence of victory. Just then, a steward passed them, wheeling a metal dinner cart along with him. He looked back at London. "I think I have an idea."

He then turned toward the steward. "Hey, could we borrow that for a few minutes…"

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"Woooooooo!"

Zack laughed as London flailed her arms in excitement. He loved how the wind they were creating whipped through her hair and caused a beautiful mess. He was running with the dinner cart while London rode on top of it, striking poses and laughing. Many of the first class passengers gasped and gave them ugly looks as they passed, but Zack and London didn't care. They then passed a group of third class couples and their kids. The little kids waved enthusiastically, and London waved back, laughing as the mothers tried to catch their kids while the others whooped and hollered. London turned towards Zack and gave him a giant genuine smile. Zack smiled back, losing himself in her smile and her deep chocolate brown eyes.

"Shit!"

He somehow managed to tear his eyes away to notice that they were reaching the end of the promenade deck and were about to slam into the railing. London turned and noticed this, grabbing onto the cart for dear life. Zack tried his hardest to slow down, but it was no use as they slammed into the railing with a loud _thud._ London somehow managed not to get thrown off, but Zack ended up deck-to-face.

"London! Zack! Are you guys all right?" Zack recognized the voices as Jack and Rose's. He groaned as Jack helped him off the deck.

"Well, I didn't think that through fully," Zack noted, trying to run out an oncoming headache.

"I have to admit, that looked quite exciting," Rose commented as she helped London off the cart.

"I enjoyed it, even if we crashed and burned," London said. She then looked to Jack and Rose. "Well, we're not interrupting now, are we?' she added playfully, which caused Rose to blush and Jack to just grin.

From somewhere behind the four, a woman cleared her throat. Everyone turned in the direction. Rose's face fell, but she quickly composed herself.

"Mother!"

Ruth, Molly Brown, and another woman stared at the group, witnesses to the cart crash and whatever Jack and Rose had been doing before.

"May I introduce Jack Dawson? You already know Mr. Martin and Miss Tipton."

"Charmed, I'm sure," her mother said as Rose proceeded with introductions. Ruth was obviously looking Jack over and not pleased about his presence. The other woman looked curious while Molly was grinning.

"Well Jack, it sounds like you're a good man to have around in a sticky situation—" Molly was cut off as a bugler sounds the dinner call right behind them, causing everyone to jump.

"What the hell!" London said, covering her ears.

"Why do they insist on announcing dinner like a damn cavalry charge?" Molly quipped.

Rose laughed, but it was obviously forced. "Shall we go dress, mother?" As she and her mother walked off, she added, "See you at dinner Jack."

Zack shook his head as he could hear Rose's mother grilling her daughter about not wearing a sun hat. "Well, I suppose that's our call as well." He looped his arm with London's. "We'll catch you guys in a little bit."

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Zack tried not to stare as he opened the bedroom door to see London trying to tie the strings of her corset.

"Don't stand there all day! I need your help!"

Zack frowned. "Uhh, well, uh, what makes you think I know how to operate those things?" he stuttered, looking for an escape.

London gave him an annoyed look.

"Wait here," he said, now really wanting to escape before he said or did something stupid. He exited the suite and knocked on the door next to theirs, when Hockley, of all people, answered.

"Ah, Mr. Martin. How can I help you?"

"Is Rose around? London needs some help dressing, because I frankly don't know anything about that stuff," said Zack.

Hockley chuckled. "Women."

Zack couldn't help but agree as Hockley called for Rose, who appeared after a moment. Zack then led her back to his suite and pointed to London's room, letting the two women get down to business. For the next several minutes, Zack prepped himself. His tux was nearly the same as any other he'd ever worn, but the thing he hated most was the bowtie. He could never get the thing straight, and tonight was no different.

Zack saw Rose exit the bedroom. "All done. I'll see you guys in a little bit."

"A'ight. I appreciate it. We'll catch you guys in a little bit. Peace out," Zack said, quickly throwing a peace sigh over his shoulder, which raised Rose's eyebrows as she exited. He went back to fiddling with his bowtie, agitated that it wouldn't stay on straight. "Son of a…!"

"Need help?"

"Yea, if you could. I can't get this damn thing to…" Zack turned to face London, but froze midway.

"You like?" London asked, seeing his expression.

Zack didn't even hide the fact that he was staring. London's dress was apple red with a gold waistband. Towards the bottom of the dress were gold patterns, and she wore a shawl that had similar golden patterns encrusted within. Her hair was straightened and towards the back, fully bringing out her face. She also wore a gold headband, which matched perfectly with her gold necklace and earrings. It was a look that coincided with her Hmong and Thai origins.

"Like? Jeez, you look… hot. Beautiful. Stunning. Sexy! And a lot more adjectives I can't think of!" Zack said, barely containing his awe.

"T-Thank you," London blushed a light shade of pink, obviously flattered by Zack's comment and blatant flirting. "Let me help you with that tie." She then reached over and effortlessly completed the tie. She was close enough to smell Zack's cologne and aftershave- wait. _Since when did he start wearing cologne? And shaving! _"Perfect," she finished, looking in the mirror along with Zack as she perfected his bowtie.

"Uhh, thanks… uh," Zack barely managed. _You dumbass! You've always been able to speak around London. Why so nervous now? _"Let's get this show on the road shall we?" He held out his arm, which London then linked with. He hoped that she didn't notice that he was shaking nervously.

"Just a warning," Zack started once they had left their suite, "I've never been around these types of people before. So don't be surprised if I somehow make a total ass of myself."

"Don't worry," dismissed London. "I know these people and how they act. Even a hundred years haven't changed the amount of arrogance these people have. Sad really."

They were slowed as several women stopped them to comment of London's dress, but they eventually found the Grand Staircase. Many highly dressed men and women littered the room, adding to the room's elegance. The two descended the stairs, where they ran into a familiar blonde-haired man as he leaned against a pillar, tux and all.

"Jack!" Zack greeted. The two then exchanged a handshake. "Lookin' swell. Rose should be here and sec," he added, knowing that Jack was going to ask. London then adjusted Jack's bowtie as well, seeing that it was crooked. "It's a habit," she said, seeing his look.

They then turned to see Hockley coming down the stairs with Ruth attached to him. They both walked right past Jack and the others, either ignoring or not recognizing them. But right behind Ruth and Hockley on the stairs stood Rose. A vision in red and black, her low-cut dress showed off her shoulders and neck, her arms covered in white gloves that came well above the elbow. Zack and London grinned at Jack's hypnotized face. Jack and Rose exchanged greetings, with Jack kissing the back of Rose's hand, which caused her face to flush. Chemistry at its best.

Rose then introduced Jack to Hockley. "Cal, surely you remember Mr. Dawson."

Cal looked caught off guard. "Dawson! I didn't recognize you. You could almost pass for a gentleman."

Rose grinned at Cal and Ruth's stupor as she led everyone down towards the D-Deck dining saloon. Molly then joined them, and now Jack escorted both Molly and Rose.

"Ain't nothin' to it is there?" London spoke to Zack, who nodded dumbly, taking in the elegant dining saloon. "They don't even know who we are, but yet they want to talk to us because they think we have money."

Rose was pointing out people to Jack while Cal talked to some men, obviously gloating about his soon-to-be trophy wife. Again several women stopped them to ask about London's dress, and Zack noticed most of the men were subtly eying London. Trying to keep his composure, he quickly pulled London aside.

"Damn it. Most of these guys are already undressing you with their eyes. I don't like it," he said, eying the room, many eyes turning away as he did.

London smiled as Zack's protectiveness. "They can look all they want, but I already have a handsome young man in my company."

Zack smiled widely at London's comment. He let it sink in that she was openly flirting with him, something she had never done before. He led her to a large table where Rose and Jack had already settled along with some other major players. Zack slid out London's seat, and then settled into his own. He looked down and saw about ten different utensils, raising an eyebrow as he turning to London.

"Just start from the outside and work your way in," she whispered as she unfolded her napkin and placed on her waist.

A waiter then approached Zack. "What would you like tonight?"

"Uhh," started Zack, but London cut him off.

"We'll have the tureen of quail breast with shiitake mushrooms to start, then the veil medallions in raspberry truffle sauce and the sea scallops with pureed artichoke hearts… sea scallops, North of the Caspian…"

"Ah, very good ma'am," the waiter complimented. "And may I say that those are all excellent selections."

"You may," she quipped.

"Hey sonny, I'll have that as well," added Molly. The rest of the table voiced their agreement, all ordering what London had.

Zach looked at London in a mixture of awe and shock. He marveled how she could play the part flawlessly and tolerate these people day in and day out which could not be easy. His respect for her in that category went up quite a few notches.

"Tell us about the accommodations in steerage Mr. Dawson. I hear they're quite good on this ship," Ruth started the conversation, obviously looking to tear Jack apart.

But Jack didn't falter, "The best I've seen ma'am. Hardly any rats."

"Mr. Dawson is joining us from third class. He was of some assistance to my fiancée last night," stated Cal. Whispers began to be exchanged. Jack has now become the subject of questionable glances.

Zack whispered lowly to London, "This is bullshit. Ruth and Cal's main goal is to make Jack look like a fool to everyone. He doesn't deserve this."

London agreed. It was a sad sight, but there wasn't much she or Zack could do at the moment. "We'll get them later on."

"And where exactly do you live Mr. Dawson?" Ruth continued her attack.

"Currently, my address right now is the _RMS Titanic_. After that, I'm on God's good humor," he responded, not missing a beat.

Salad was then served. Zack reached for the fish fork, but London looked at him, holding the correct salad fork. He got the message, switching utensils.

Ruth moved in for the kill. "So, do you find that kind of ruthless lifestyle…appealing to you?"

Again, Jack didn't falter. "Well, it's a big world, and I want to see it all before I go. My father wanted to see the ocean, but unfortunately, he died in the same town he was born in, so he never had the chance. You can't wait for handouts all your life and you have to play the hand you've been dealt. See, my folks died in a house fire when I was fifteen, and I've been on my own ever since. Somethin' like that teaches you how to take like as it comes. I met my best friend in Paris, and we go everywhere together. He taught me the value of a real friendship."

Everyone at the table let his words sink in.

"I'd like to add to that last part," Zack started. London turned towards him, as did the rest of the table. "My grandmother used to say you'll have many friends throughout your life. But, there are only a special few who you know you could trust with your life," he glanced over at London before continuing, "They are the ones who you can count on one hand and still have fingers left over."

Molly raised her glass in a salute. "Well said, both of you."

"Here, here," added another. London raised her glass. She never felt so cherished and honored in all of her life.

"To making it count," she said, looking as Zack with newfound affection and respect.

Everyone else raised their glasses in a toast except for Ruth and Cal. Ruth look very annoyed that Jack had somehow scored himself a point so she tried to press further. "How is it you have the means to travel, Mr. Dawson?"

"I work my way from place to place. Tramp steamers and such. I won my ticket to _Titanic_ from a lucky poker game," he glanced as Rose, "A _very_ lucky hand."

"Life is 20 percent luck, 30 percent skill, and the rest is all power and will," Zack said, quoting a song.

Cal scoffed. "A real man makes his own luck."

London shook her head, where she then noticed Thomas Andrews, sitting next to her, writing in a little notebook, completely oblivious to the conversation.

"Mr. Andrews, what are you doing? Every time I see you you're writing in that blasted book," London grabbed it then read the first thing she saw. "'_Decrease number of screws in hat hooks from three to two.' _You build the world's most luxurious ship, and this is what takes up your time?"

Andrews smiled sheepishly

"He knows every rivet in her, don't you Thomas?" Ismay commented.

"All three million of them."

"Your ship is a wonder, Mr. Andrews. Truly," London complimented.

"Thank you London," Andrews said, who had also been entranced by London's charm.

A bit later, after the main course was served and idle conversation, a waiter arrived with a cartful of cigars. Various men began clipping the ends off and lighting up.

"Join me for a brandy, gentlemen?" Cal rose from his seat, signaling the end of dinner.

Jack spoke once the men had cleared. "Well, I'd better be heading back. Time for me to go row with the slaves." He leaned over and took Rose's hand, where London's trained eye saw him slip a small piece of paper into her hand.

"Zack, may I talk to you for a second?" Jack asked.

"Sure."

Rose watched Jack off, obviously not wanting him to leave. She subtly opened the small piece of paper and read it. She then motioned for London to come over and read it as well.

'_Make it count. Grab London and meet Zack and I at the clock.'

* * *

_

"What's up?" Zack asked as he and Jack admired the ornate clock with its carved figures of Hope and Glory.

"I invited Rose to a party below in third class. Do you think she'd like that?" asked Jack, looking nervous for the first time all night.

"Definitely," said Zack. He could already see Jack beginning to fall for Rose. "She's so into you dude."

"R-really? You think so?" Jack's eyes were wide.

"I don't think. I **know** so," Zack reassured.

This gained a large grin from Jack, obviously excited about Rose. "You can come too if you want. And bring London."

"Hell yes! We'd love to. Gives us a chance to get away from these assholes," Zack motioned around the room, causing Jack to laugh. Zack then turned, seeing Rose and London ascending the staircase to meet them. Jack smiled.

"So, you guys want to go to a **real** party?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter. This one was pretty fun to write. I remembered the two dudes arm wrestling and decided to add to it. BTW, my policy has always been to try and update when the story falls off the first page of fanfic, but sometimes it only takes a day for that to happen, so... Yea. Also, there's a note about London at the end of this chapter. Hope you guys enjoy this. Review if you like it! As usual, please forgive any errors.**

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**Chapter Four**

The Third Class General Room was alive with people of all ages and nationalities dancing, drinking beer and wine, smoking, laughing, and even brawling. An ad hoc band was gathered near a piano, honking out lively stomping music on a fiddle, accordion, and tambourine.

While Zack danced with a little girl no older than six, London had somehow become involved in a makeshift poker game. Many people had joined and now it was Jack and Rose, two Swedes, Jack's Italian best friend Fabrizio, and an Irishman named Tommy. Several random items were in the middle of the table, such as a hat, a pack of cigarettes, and even a screw. London has even thrown in one of her earrings, which got everyone to play.

One of the Swedes laid down trip Aces, causing everyone to groan. As he began to rake in the items, Tommy stopped him.

"Just a sec. Let the lady show 'er cards huh?" he said.

London shrugged. "I've only got two small pairs. A pair of fours and a pair of fours." She laid down her cards, which caused everyone to groan even louder, especially the Swede. Curses and jokes rang out in different languages as London crackled with laughter.

"Keep your things boys. We're all having a good time," London said, and everyone was slightly relieved as they took back their items. London saw the Swede she beat subtly eyeing a German woman across the room, so she leaned in to the Swede and spoke. _"__Du vet, ska du sluta stirra och bara gå och prata med henne._" _(You know, stop staring and go talk to her.)_

The Swede was clearly surprised that London knew Swedish. She laughed as his dumbfounded face, adding, _"Hon har kontroll du ute hela natten. __Hon uppenbarligen vill dansa, så gå fråga henne. (She's been checking you out all night. She obviously wants to dance, so go ask her.) _The Swede though for a moment before grinning, throwing his cards on the floor, and strutting confidently over the German woman. "Bjorn," he added as we walked away.

"Can I cut in?" Zack then grabbed London, who barely had enough time to finish her beer. "Wait!" she said as Zack brought her to the middle of the dance floor, "I-I don't think I can dance to this! I'm not very good."

"What? That's BS! You'll do fine!" Zack said, grasping one of her hands and putting the other one on his shoulder.

She glanced at the other people who were dancing. "Yes, but… I don't know this dance!" Zack just scoffed, secretly enjoying her hand in his. "So what! Nobody's gonna care." She nodded, a nervous smile tugging at her lips. Zack slid his other hand around her slim waist and pulled her closer to where they could feel each others' breath. If they had leaned in a mere three more inches, they would have been lip-locked. "Let's go!"

And they were off. London obviously didn't know the steps to the dance, but she watched the others and began to catch on, her grin growing as the two danced around the room. She was shouting in delight as Zack spun her around as the speed of the music increased. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jack and Rose dancing as well, Rose also shouting with glee.

"I thought you couldn't dance!" Zack cried, obviously knowing that London had been lying.

"So did I!" she called back, her eyes full of excitement.

They saw Jack and Rose move to the empty stage in the middle of the room, where Jack immediately began tapping and moving his feet. Zack saw this as began to drag London over. "Oh hell no!' she said, but she was grinning, nearly laughing, "Absolutely not!"

"Aw come on! Where's your sense of fun?" Zack said, pulling her up onto the stage.

"Ninety-eight years away!" she responded, but still grinning as Zack pulled her up onto the stage.

Jack and Rose were moving their feet together in sync. London looked at them, knowing she couldn't move her feet like that, so she did what she was best at. She began to sway her hips with the beat of the music in a way which was obviously very provocative in 1912. She also moved her head with the music, sending her hair flying in all directions. Many people had stopped dancing to cheer loudly at London's display.

Zack, who was amazed at her ability to move her body, took his place behind her and placed his hands on her curvy hips. He guided her along as the speed of the music increased to the point to where he was hanging on for dear life. London even began to grind her hips against him, sending waves of pleasure throughout his body and bringing out a feeling he had reserved only for _that_ special woman.

The song finally ended, and massive applause erupted for London and Zack, as well as Jack and Rose.

"More beer?" Zack asked as the band started up another song, the two gulping for air.

"If we're going to keep doing this, hell yes!" London said, beads of sweat covering her face. Zack brought them over to the table where Jack and Rose had managed to find a seat. It was then that London saw two men, Bjorn from earlier and the Irishman Tommy arm wrestling. Neither of them appeared to be winning, but London knew their purpose was to just show off. She had been around guys long enough to know that when there were any women within ten feet, they'd be doing something to show off their strength.

Jack then passed two beers to London and Zack. Zack only took a sip or two, but London downed her whole pint of beer, Zack and Jack looking at her in awe.

"What?" she saw their looks, "Just 'cause I'm a first class lady doesn't make me a pussy!" She then grabbed another beer and downed it just as quickly.

Zack laughed loudly at Jack and Rose's shock. Just then, Tommy's hand was forced backward, spilling beer all over the table. "Dammit!" he cried, shaking his head, but still grinning as he paid up his end of a bet. "Shoulda known by the size of your arms." Bjorn began to boast about his victory, which got London thinking.

"So, all of a sudden you think you're the shit huh? Well let's see if you can beat me," she said, her voice full of cockiness. She knew the beer was getting the best of her, but she didn't care. Zack look surprised at her challenge, as did Bjorn. "Oh come on, _Jag ska gå lätt för dig._" (_I'll go easy on you.)_

He smirked and nodded his head, accepting the challenge. "_Så länge vi inte satsar någonting."_ _(As long as we don't bet anything.) _London smirked as well, sat down and positioned her arm on the table, which Bjorn interlocked with. London saw the man's muscles bulge and hoped she wasn't doing something incredibly stupid.

"Wait, you speak Swedish?" Zack blurted out, seeing a side of London he'd never seen before.

"_Và một chút của người Việt Nam cũng__," _she added in Vietnamese. Tommy saw what was happening and pulled more people around them to see the match.

"So I'll guess I'll referee," Zack said, leaning forward, one of his hands resting on the back of London's chair, putting him a lot closer to her than he had been.

"Hold up a minute," Rose said as she shot up out of her chair. "Well, you guys—and lady—think you're strong and all? Let's see you all do this." She took off her heals and assumed a ballet position, instructing Jack to hold the end of her dress up so it wouldn't interfere. London and Bjorn turned to Rose, as did everyone else.

Arms raised, she slowly lifted herself off the ground and on point, taking her entire weight on just the tips of her toes. Everyone gaped at her awesome muscle control as she held the position for a few seconds. She finally came back down, her face scrunched in pain as she began hopping around on one foot. "Oowww! I haven't done that in years!" she exclaimed.

London was quite impressed, but it faded as she turned back to Bjorn. His grin had also faded and was replaced by sheer determination; the crowd around them had also gone silent.

"Ready," Zack started. London and Bjorn shifted a little.

"Set."

"GO!"

"Holy hell!" London cried out as a force she never felt before was exerted on her hand as the crown began cheering and choosing sides. But she returned what was being given as she tried to push Bjorn's hand back, but nothing happened. It was hard for her to breathe without gasping. She concentrated on moving the man's hand downward, her teeth grinding as she did.

"Come on London," Zack's voice carried through the shouting and cheering, the only voice that London concentrated on. He was obviously rooting her on. "You can take him…look at him; he's not even moving your hand! You're loads stronger than this guy…"

The whole time he spoke London could feel her reserve strength building, waiting for the perfect opportunity to capitalize. Zack was still speaking less than a foot away. "You can do it London. I believe in you. I know you can do it." He paused, thinking he had said a little too much.

"Damn," London grunted out to Zack. "Don't stop talking."

With much more confidence in his voice, he continued," Come on… this is all you. Think of our friends back home. Don't let 'em down!" he added, so quietly that London barely heard it, "Don't let _me _down."

"Gahh-hah!"

London cried out in victory as she forced Bjorn's hand to the table, again spilling beer everywhere. The crowd around them erupted in cheers and applause. Bjorn just laughed, shaking his head. He and London then shook hands (squeezing a little harder than usual) as the crowd continued to cheer and bets were paid up. London then turned to Zack, who was grinning proudly. "Thank you," she said.

"Just trying to help," he said, his hand resting on the back of her chair, still very close to her. His eyes were so gentle, and London had a difficult time convincing herself that that wasn't love she was seeing…

"You did an awesome job," she praised, clenching her hands to stop from shaking.

Zack opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off when Rose dragged him out of his seat and into a chain of people who were dancing around the room. Zack also grabbed London, whooping and hollering in delight as the music took them away.

FanFic dot net, stop deleting my cuts!

"…the way you make me feel! You really turn me on...!"

Zack laughed as he helped a very tipsy London up the grand staircase as she shouted Michael Jackson lyrics. It was two in the morning, so there was nobody around except for Mr. Andrews, who was adjusting the clock and taking notes. He just grinned and shook his head in amusement.

"…my lonely days are gone!" she shouted once they had reached their door. One or two people poked their heads out of their doors to investigate the ruckus, but Zack just smiled apologetically as he helped London into the suite.

Zack reviewed London's state. He had only seen her this drunk on last New Year's in Boston, where she had invited Zack and the lot over to celebrate (with liquor of course.) Everyone had been drinking, even Maddie. They had trashed her suite thoroughly, but nobody cared as Mosby and Carey yelled at them for ten minutes straight. It took them days to clean up with lots of punishment but again, nobody cared. Everyone's friendship with London had grown much stronger in the process.

Zack was shook from his thoughts as London ran into the bedroom door, giggling as she did. "I think you'd better lay down before you hurt yourself," he said seriously, opening the door for her. She nodded, but then turned to face him.

"Wait...uh," she continued giggling, "This is pretty embarrassing, but uh… my dress and corset—I can't get out of them by myself. I…can't reach that far back to loosen the strings and…" she trailed off. "Could you do me the favor?"

Zack blinked, once, his face quickly turning red. "Certainly," he said, helping her into the room. She then turned and faced the bedpost like she had been taught many years ago.

"You know how to do this?" she asked, grinning.

"Uh, I'll figure it out," he said, his fingers taking hold of the small metal hooks on the back. He tried his hardest to keep his hands from shaking, but he was pretty sure that London could tell he was nervous.

"Thanks for bringing down to that party," London said, her voice a little shaky. "Those guys really know how to party it up."

Zack's heart pounded in his chest as he finished with the dress, "Yea they do. Better than these shmucks." Done with the dress, his hands traveled up to the corset, where he untied the knots and loosened the strings. Goosebumps ran up his arms as he came in contact with London's bare skin, wondering if her shaky breathing was normal.

London relished the feeling as Zack touched the small of her back. No guy had ever been this close to her and it sent chills up her spine. Just as Zack finished with the corset, she did a 360 to face him and pushed him into the corner of the room, her eyes shining mischievously as she turned into the aggressor.

"So," she started, loving how nervous Zack was, "You never answered my question."

"…huh?" Zack stuttered out.

"You didn't really answer my question from last night. Why you never flirt or hit on me…?"

Zack blinked. "Oh…that. Well, um…"

London decided to tease him a bit. "Is it my boobs? Are they to small?" she pushed them together with her hands.

Now Zack's eyes were as wide as saucers as he struggled to come up with an answer, trying not to stare. "What? No-no! A-actually, they're quite…_perfect,"_ he added the last part in a barely audible whisper.

London grinned. "Hmm, well I'm flattered," she said playfully. "But… if I know you well enough, you tend to go for asses... _right_?" Zack's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, not even trying to hide his shock. London loved seeing him flounder, so she added, "Don't give me that. I see you checking out my ass all the time. You're not as subtle as you think Mr. Martin."

Zack stood rooted to his spot, shocked at London's advances. He had to keep reminding himself that she was toasted and probably wouldn't remember a thing. But before he could put anymore thought into it, he was yanked out of the corner and thrown onto the bed, where London then straddled him. He put up his arms in a weak defense, but she swatted them away.

"I'm in charge now," she said, eyeing him down like a piece of fresh meat. " So you settle just down or I'm going to have to punish you," she added as she began to unbutton his shirt, fumbling with the buttons.

As much as Zack liked the sound of London punishing him, he grabbed her arms to stop her from taking his shirt off. "London, you're drunk," he said.

"Your point?" she stated, obviously not caring.

Zack fought hard not to give into temptation, his respect for London overriding his own desires (and wants). He secretly dreamt about this many times, but it didn't include her being wasted. He continued to fight off her advances, but she still somehow managed to get his shirt off. She marveled at his toned chest, and Zack couldn't help but feel good that she liked what she saw.

Without warning, London threw all of her body onto him and threw her lips onto his. Zack grunted in surprise, clearly not expecting that. His mind began to reel as he kept repeating _'Don't take advantage!'_, but the taste of London's lips was overriding his conscious. Finally, after fighting his mind and losing, he gave in and began to kiss back, closing his eyes.

But after no more than a second, London stopped kissing, and even moving all together. Zack opened his eyes to see that London had passed out right in the middle of their makeout session. Zack groaned loudly in frustration, but after a moment, couldn't help but chuckle. He carefully moved London off of him and to the other side of the bed, where he then tucked her in as best as he could.

He decided he might as well sleep in the bed, but still keeping a respectable distance from London so she wouldn't freak when she awoke. He quickly fell asleep, dreaming of nothing but London, rather that the impending sinking.

* * *

Okay, I thought I'd make a quick note about London. I enjoy writing writing her character more than I do any other, because the donkey producers make her so shallow, which is putting Brenda Song's talent to waste. (she's an awesome actress!) So I've taken London and meshed her into who I think she could really be with the right push and encouragement. And Zack, well, is Zack. Not everybody may see them how I do, but hey, this is **FanFic** after all, no? Just my 2¢.


	5. Chapter 5

**Now the shyt has hit the fan. Next chapter is where things really escalate. By the way, the part where London plays the piano was an idea of my sister's, so a shoutout to her for that! It's the slow version Cascada's **_Everytime We Touch_. **Look it up on youtube. Hope u guys enjoy this and don't forget to review if you like. As always, forgive any errors/mistakes. I also added some background info on the ship at the very end if you're interested.**

**

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Chapter Five**

Zack groaned as light from the porthole shined right into his face. He rose from the bed, rubbing the side of his head to push away the small headache. He chuckled at London, who was sleeping in the opposite direction he had tucked her in. He looked at his watch and saw it was near 9 in the morning and it was Sunday. He quickly threw on a shirt and exited the suite, letting London sleep longer.

There was nobody in sight even as he descended the staircase to D-Deck, where he then discovered most of the first class people in the dining room, which had been turned into a makeshift chapel. He almost ran into Mr. Andrews and nearly sent him to the floor.

"Ooh, my bad," Zack apologized.

"It's alright," Andrews said. "How is Miss Tipton? I remember her being quite… _animated_ last night."

Zack smirked. "Yea… sorry you had to witness that. No singing right now though, because she's still passed out. And me…" he rubbed the side of his head again, "I've got a heck of a headache."

Andrews smirked as well. "Follow me," he started forward and Zack followed him through a few corridors and eventually ended up in the kitchen, which was busy with activity. "Secret family recipe," he said as he picked up a pot of coffee and began adding various 'other' ingredients to it. He then presented a cup of the coffee to Zack.

Zack looked at it in slight disgust. "Uh, are you sure?"

"It may smell and taste like mud, but it packs one hell of a punch; guaranteed to wipe that hangover away in a few minutes," Andrews smiled. Zack reluctantly took the cup and downed it as quickly as he could, holding his nose in the process. As soon as he put the cup down, he already could feel his head clear a bit.

"Damn, you're right," Zack said, shaking his head. "Could I get some of this for London?" Andrews grinned and poured another cup and handed it to Zack. "Thanks, I owe you one," Zack said, shaking the other man's hand.

"Don't worry about it," Andrews smiled. "After the services are done, I've giving a tour of the ship to Rose and the rest of her party. You're more than welcome to join us."

"We'd be happy to. That is, if I can somehow get London's butt out of bed without getting beat up." Zack and Andrews shared a laugh. "We'll see you later sir." Andrews nodded and Zack trekked back to his suite. When he entered the bedroom, he purposely slammed the door.

"Kumquat!" London cried out and she flopped out of bed and onto the floor face down. Zack laughed as he helped London up.

"Oh god," London started, "How much did I drink last night?"

"You sang Michael Jackson tunes on the grand staircase."

"Obviously a lot then," she said, closing her eyes in pain, "What else did I get myself into?"

Zack froze for a second, but London didn't notice with her eyes closed. "N-Nothing. I brought you here and helped you to bed." _'Yea, you definitely "helped". Nice comeback jackass!'_

London caught his stutter but shook it off. She tried to think back, but all she saw was fuzz. Eventually it would come back to her though, as her mind had an amazing ability to recover events after hangovers. But she wasn't worried about anything. "Ah, thanks for taking care of me."

"You're welcome," Zack said, looking away. He quickly wanted to change topics, "Here, take this. Mr. Andrews made this for you. And yes, it **does **work." London accepted the cup, frowning at the smell, but she quickly downed it, making a face after. "He also invited us to take a tour of the ship with him and Rose."

London nodded as she slowly made her way to the bathtub. Zack let her be as he looked in the closet for something better to wear. The whole time his mind kept going back to London, thankful that she didn't remember last night. But a part of him wished that she did… '_No! She'd never be into you like that. Don't be stupid. But yet she's openly flirting with me… Even if she did like me that way, I'm not good for her. I'll just make her look bad. But yet…'_

Zack's thoughts were interrupted as London cleared her throat. He turned and his heart hit his throat as London was wrapped in a towel that was _wayyy_ to small, leaving little to the imagination. "Uh, um, I… didn't r-realize I'd been here that long." He quickly grabbed his clothes and bolted out of the bedroom, ignoring London's laugh.

He took a bath and changed into his clothes, which helped clear his mind. He had just finished with his shoes when London emerged from the bedroom. She was wearing a perfectly tailored suit that fit her form just right. It was white with thin blue stripes and buttons with a skirt that came just below her knees, which was topped off with a humongous hat. She was even rocking the necktie. Zack just shook his head in awe.

"Jeez, a hundred years in the past and you're still raising the bar. You look great," he noted.

"Why thank you. I found these in your pants pocket from when we first got here. Hope you don't mind," she then put on Zack's pair of aviator sunglasses, completing the Lady GaGa look. "At least I'll look good 'cause I feel like shit."

"Nice."

There was a knock at the door, which Zack opened to see Rose.

"Mr. Andrews was wondering if you'd be joining us," she said, looking a bit lost.

"We're ready," he said, linking his arm with London as they exited. Cal and Ruth joined them, and the group made their way to Mr. Andrews, who was standing at the top of the staircase.

* * *

They were now in a gymnasium. A woman in a long skirt peddled on a stationary bicycle, looking ridiculous. Cal was even working the oars of a rowing machine. "Reminds me of my Harvard days," he noted. Zack turned and punched a punching bag as hard as he could, imagining that it was Cal's face.

"Care to try a hand at rowing?" the gym instructor asked of Ruth

"Don't be absurd," she said, "A skill that I have no use for." London snorted at the irony.

"Our next stop is the bridge. Right this way," Andrews led everyone out of the room and towards the bridge, where they found Captain Smith being handed a small sheet of paper. "Another ice warning sir. This time from the _Baltic._"

"Thank you," Smith subtly put the paper in his pocket, nodding reassuringly to Rose and Ruth, who looked a bit concerned. London's eyes about bugged out of her head. "Oh, not to worry. Quite normal this time of year. In fact, I've order the last few boilers lit, so were speeding up."

Andrews frowned at this, but continued on, leading the group away from the bridge and down the boat deck. London slowed to the back of the group along with Zack.

"Damn it," she said.

"What it is?" Zack saw her mood quickly change.

"There's the captain standing there with the ice warning right in his friggin' hand, and yet he orders more speed." Zack raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "He thinks that anything that would get in the way of the ship they'll see in time and be able to turn away, but that's not the case. This ship's too big with too small of a rudder, and can't corner worth a damn at these speeds. Everything he thinks he knows is wrong."

Zack realized what she was implying. "So… what happens now?"

London sighed heavily. "Well if you've got a death wish, cash it in tonight."

"Don't say that," Zack frowned, "We'll make it through this."

"Easier said than done. Knew it was coming, but still…" London trailed off. "Look, we'll figure it out when the time comes. Let's just stay with the tour for now." She frowned when Rose scurried past her crying softly. London looked at Zack, who just shrugged and pointed behind them, where they could see Jack wandering off.

After the tour, Zack went back to the suite whereas London decided to try and talk to Rose. London found her sitting alone in one of the restaurants, so she joined her. "Talk to me."

Rose looked up and London could see the streaks of tears running down her cheek, but she said nothing. "You can tell me anything, you know that." After a beat of silence, "It's Jack, isn't it?" Rose looked up in surprise and London knew she had hit the nail.

"Yes it is," Rose started. "It's just, it's impossible for me to see him."

"Is it?" London simply said.

"I just can't. There's too much at stake in my life. I have to say with Cal… I love Cal."

London knew that Rose was still trying to convince herself. "It's **your** life. Not your mom's and definitely not that asshole Cal's either. You can't let them tell you what to do the rest of your days."

"It's not that simple," Rose looked down.

"Bullshit." Rose's head jerked up in surprise. "I know you're afraid, but you can't let that stop you. If you let Jack slip through your grip, you're going to regret it the rest of your life. And as your friend, I know you won't mess this up because you don't want to feel stupid and useless like I have many times. Jack is giving you the chance to be free. You can't let an opportunity like that just go."

"You… really think that is what I should do?" Rose asked, but London could tell that she was asking more than just that.

"Absolutely. I think you get your butt up, walk out of this restaurant, and go see him. You of all people deserve some peace in mind."

London smiled as Rose got up and practically ran out of the room. London had surprised herself with her little speech, finally realizing she had been speaking from her own heart and desires. She shot out of her chair and began to make a beeline for her suite, but stopped when she saw an empty piano sitting at the top level of the grand staircase.

Only Moseby knew of her ability to play the piano. She would spend sleepless nights on the ship in the ballroom panning out various songs while Moseby listened in and worked. Her mother had been a great pianist before she passed, which London greatly admired.

London loosened her necktie and took her seat with her fingers on the keys. Without thinking, she began to play and sing a slow version of one of her favorite songs, knowing the lyrics by heart.

_I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me_

_I still feel your touch in my dreams_

_Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why_

_Without you, it's hard to survive._

'_Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling_

_And everytime we kiss, I swear I could fly_

_Can't you feel my heart beat fast?_

_I want this to last, need you by my side_

Her voice floated through the corridors, people poking their heads out of their rooms to listen as all activity and conversation in the grand staircase came to a halt.

'_Cause everytime we touch, I feel the static_

_And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky_

_Can't you feel my heart beat so?_

_I can't let you go, want you in my life._

_Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky_

_They wipe away tears that I cry_

_Ohh the good and the bad times, we've been through them all_

_You make me rise when I fall_

'_Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling_

_And everytime we kiss, I swear I could fly_

_Can't you feel my heart beat fast?_

_I want this to last, need you by my side_

'_Cause everytime we touch, I feel the static_

_Everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky_

_Can't you feel my heart beat so?_

_I can't let you go, want you in my life._

_Everytime we touch, I get this feeling_

_Everytime we kiss, I swear I could fly_

_Can't you feel my heart beat fast?_

_I want this to last, need you by my side_

'_Cause everytime we touch, I feel the static_

_Everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky_

_Can't you feel my heart beat so?_

_I can't let you go…_

_Want you in my life._

London let her fingers rest on the keys as she closed her eyes and let all of her emotions flow through her. She didn't know how long she sat there until somebody behind her coughed. She opened her eyes and turned to see Zack leaning against a pillar. The fifty or so other listeners dispersed, sensing a private moment.

"That was…amazing."

London blushed. "I've played the piano since I was a little girl. Nothing major."

Zack just shook his head. "Why do you hide your talents from so many people?" he took her hand. "You're an amazing woman."

London smiled and shot up from the piano and began to drag Zack back to their suite. As soon as the door slammed shut she shoved him against the wall and kissed him with all the passion she could muster. Zack meanwhile didn't even have time to speak as his mind ran a million miles an hour as his taste buds exploded with the taste of London's lip gloss. He responded eagerly, knowing this time she wasn't wasted. London maneuvered his jacket off then began to unbutton his shirt before Zack grabbed her arm and unlocked his lips from hers.

"Uh, are you sure you want this? I mean, 'cause I know I'm a stud and all, but I don't want to force—"

"I've never been surer about anything in my life," London looked him straight in the eyes, "I never finished saying who I would want to be with. But now I know it's you that I want."

Zack had never seen London's eyes shine so brightly before. He was now a hundred percent sure that his feelings for London had tipped into love. And if this is what London wanted, who was he to deny her? She always got what she wanted, and Zack was not about to stop that trend.

"And as much as you try to reassure me that it's not, tonight could very well be our last time together, and I want it to be absolutely special." She backed up and slowly removed her own jacket and then her shirt, leaving her in only her skirt and bra. She then leaned into Zack's ear and whispered, "Make love to me."

That was all the motivation Zack needed as London led him to the bedroom, where she pushed him onto the bed and straddled his waist. "So, are you ready to finish what we started last night?"

London smirked sexily at Zack's comical shock as she leaned into him...

* * *

Zack leaned back against the headboard as he watched London dress, admiring her perfect curves. He was still on cloud nine. Never in a million years did he think that he would 'score' in such a way. "Since when have you been the aggressor?"

London smirked. "You weren't complaining when I was giving you the business," she said as she sloppily tied her necktie.

"Indeed, business was booming today."

"Pervert." The two shared a laugh as Zack also put on his clothes. "Let's see what Jack and Rose are up to shall we?" London said as they exited the suite. Zack raised an eyebrow, causing London to smirk as she knocked on the Dewitt-Bukator suite.

"It's us," London said, and a second later the door opened. "How nice to see you two."

Zack and London entered the suite and were blown away by the beauty. It obviously was the millionaire's suite as it had several rooms and a private deck. Rose turned to a table and wrote a note while telling Jack to put a necklace into a safe. Zack saw the open safe and whistled at the stacks of bills piled into it.

"Wait a sec. Is that the Heart of the Ocean?" London asked in awe as she saw the blue diamond. Rose just nodded as she continued to write. Zack raised a curious eyebrow when London pulled him aside.

"Have you heard of Louis XVI?" Zack just nodded, and London continued, "Well, he wore an awesome jewel known as the Blue Diamond of the Crown. So theory goes that when his head was chopped in the late 1700's, so was the diamond. It was then cut into a heart-like shape, becoming known as…"

"The Heart of the Ocean," Zack confirmed.

"Right. But then it disappeared for years until it turned up in the early 1900's. But get this; it disappeared a second time, and rumor has it that it was right here," she pointed to the floor, "on the _Titanic_."

"Get outta here," said Zack.

"My father has been searching years for it. If it was found in 2010, it would be worth more than the Hope Diamond, which is probably half a billion dollars at least," London finished. Zack just shook his head at wealth he could never comprehend.

"_Miss Rose?"_

Rose gasped as she heard Cal's right-hand man enter one of the other rooms of the suite. She quickly grabbed Jack and made a beeline for the back exit, as did London and Zack. They quickly shuffled down the hallway, but broke into a run when the man exited into the hallway looking like he could kill someone. Jack and Rose boarded one of the elevators, and Zack almost died in laughter as Rose gave the man the bird.

"Now he's after us!" exclaimed London as she grabbed Zack's hand and led him to the staircase. She took charge and slid down the middle banter, laughing as she did. Eventually they made it to E-Deck just as the elevator dropped off Rose and Jack.

"Pretty tough for a valet, this fella. What was he, a cop?" Jack said out of breath.

"I think he was," responded an equally exhausted Rose.

"Oh shit," Jack said as the valet descended the stairs.

"Split up!" Zack shouted as he and London went left and Jack and Rose went right. The man was in pursuit of Rose, so Zack and London easily escaped, and after a few extra doors and hallways, they made it up on the bow deck, laughing furiously.

"Oh man! Cal is gonna be pissed when he learns Rose is bangin' Jack!" laughed Zack as he collapsed onto the deck, still laughing. London then joined him, lying on her back. She shivered slightly at the cold night breeze.

"Wow, look at all this," London pointed up to the sky. "I don't think I've ever seen so many stars!" She took in all the constellations and smiled when a shooting star streaked across the sky. She and Zack laid there for what seemed like hours as they admired the view. "You know, my father wants me to take over the business once I graduate from school," she started randomly.

"That's great!" Zack exclaimed.

"Maybe, but I'm not feeling it," she responded.

"Why not? You'd be a great businesswoman."

"I know, it's just… I can't do it by myself." London them smiled widely as an idea occurred. "Why don't you come with me?"

"Say what?" sputtered Zack.

"You know… work with me. You and me; run the whole company together. As a _couple._"

"You'd trust me with that kind of responsibility?" Zack was clearly flabbergasted.

"I trust you with my life," London said without hesitation. She turned and smiled when Jack and Rose burst out onto the deck laughing madly.

Zack stood up and turned help London up, but he stopped and looked on in horror. London frowned as his sudden change. Zack simply pointed behind her, where she stood up, turned, and nearly died right then and there.

A massive iceberg stood in _Titanic's_ path, which grew larger as the ship approached. Slowly, the ship began to veer left, but it would not be enough as it inched closer and closer, until eventually—

**Kruuunch!**

The iceberg hit the ship on the starboard bow and a sickening screech rang out as London and Zack were nearly thrown to their feet. The ship continued to bounce against the iceberg for a few more yards as large chunks of ice rained downed onto the deck as Zack and the others scrambled to avoid getting hit.

The party leaned over the side of the rail, trying to get a look at the damage once the berg had passed

"It looks okay," observed Jack. "I don't see anything." Behind him, Rose grabbed a small chunk of ice and shoved it down the back of his shirt, causing Jack to squeal in surprise. A few 3rd class passengers were kicking around chunks of ice on the deck and laughing.

London and Zack looked at each other in horror, already knowing the _Titanic's_ fate.

* * *

**To this day, experts still debate the rudder theory. When the iceberg was spotted, the order was given for a full reversal of the engines, which actually made the rudder _less_ effective, thus crippling its ability to turn. It is also debated whether the ship could've just ran straight into the iceberg and actually not sink. But my answer to that is if I'm piloting a ship and a I see a berg in my way, I aint fuckin runnin' straight into it. I would also try to steer clear of it. Hitting the berg caused the **_Titanic _**to flood in five compartments. It could've stayed floating if it was only four, not five. Just imagine it had only been four...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here we go. I've decided to split the sinking into two chapters rather than a long ass one. This chapter could be borderline M, cuz there's a few F-bombs dropped. I tried to incorporate Zack and London in as best as I could without messing things up. As always, try to ignore any corrections that I missed. Enjoy and review if you like. I also threw another note about the **_Titanic_** at the bottom.****  
**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Zack and London trailed behind Rose and Jack as they made their way back to Rose's suite. Cal's right-hand man was waiting further down the hall, where he slipped behind Jack. Zack could've sworn he saw the man put something into Jack's pocket but wrote it off as nothing. Cal was already waiting with Ruth and the Master at Arms as the party entered the suite.

"Something serious has happened," said Rose.

"Yes it has. Two things very important to me disappeared tonight. Now that one is back," Cal looked between Rose and Jack, "I'm pretty sure where to find the other one. Search him!" The Master at Arms approached Jack and began to pat him down while the Cal's right-hand man took off his jacket.

"This is horseshit!" Jack protested.

"You can't be serious!" Rose also protested, "We're in the middle of an emergency and—"

The right-hand man pulled the Heart of the Ocean from Jack's coat pocket. "There it is," Cal noted. Jack was stunned, as was Rose. Zack frowned deeply. _'Wait a minute…'_

Jack turned to Rose as he was being handcuffed. "Don't believe this Rose! You know I wouldn't!"

"He couldn't have—I was with him the whole time…" uncertainty crept into Rose's voice.

"They set me up!" Jack tried again.

"This isn't even your jacket son," The Master at Arms looked at the coat, "_'Property of A.L. Ryerson'._ This was reported stolen earlier today."

Zack finally figured out what was going on. "You son of a bitch!" he moved to Cal and planted his fist right onto Cal's nose, sending him falling to the ground. Zack wanted to pound him into the ground but was grabbed by another officer and cuffs were then put onto him. London tried to reason with the officer while Rose look absolutely betrayed. She backed away from Jack as he and Zack were being dragged out of the room and down the hallway.

"Screw you cocksucker! I hope you get what you got comin' to ya!" Zack shouted more profanity as he and Jack continued to loudly protest as they were dragged down the hall and out of sight.

* * *

Ruth hastily exited into another room leaving Cal alone with Rose and London. Cal looked at Rose, opening and closing his mouth a few times. He then slapped Rose hard across the face. "Is it a little slut, isn't it?" he sneered.

"Hey! Where do you get off—" London came to Rose's defense but was cut off as Cal roughly shoved her against the wall, causing her to whimper in pain. "Shut up whore! I wouldn't be surprised if you've been in bed with every man on this ship, with the way you flaunt yourself. I'm doing you a favor!" Cal shouted. London shrunk away as she tried not to cry in fear. But they were interrupted when a steward entered the room asking them all to put on life belts and commenting on how everything should be done in a mannerly way.

Cal then grabbed Rose and London and led them out into the hallway followed by Ruth. They approached the grand staircase where many 1st class passengers looked confused. "God damn English have to do everything by the book," Cal commented as he saw stewards trying to hand out life belts, Ruth berating Cal on his language.

Mr. Andrews entered, looking like a man who's had everything taken away from him. London couldn't even imagine what was going through the poor man's head. Rose saw him and tugged at his coat.

"I saw the iceberg, and I see it in your eyes. Please tell me the truth."

Andrews quickly looked around, saying in a low voice, "The ship will sink."

Rose and Cal's eyes almost popped from the heads, "You're certain?"

"Yes. In an hour or so… all this will be at the bottom of the Atlantic."

"Jesus," London whispered. Hearing the shipbuilder admit that his life's work was doomed struck a chord in her

"Please only tell who you must. I don't want to be responsible for a panic," Andrews then added urgently, "An' for God's sake, please don't wait to get to a boat. You… remember what I said earlier about them?"

Rose was barely able to speak, "Yes… I understand." Andrews then turned to London as Cal pulled Rose away. "Please, Miss Tipton. I urge you to find a lifeboat. You're so young…" he trailed off up the stairs in a zombie state.

* * *

The right-hand man and the Master at Arms handcuffed Zack and Jack to a 4 inch water pipe. Another crewman popped in and asked for the Master's assistance, who was reluctant to leave two criminals by themselves. "Go on," the older man reassured, "I'll keep an eye on them." He then whipped out a pearl handled Colt .45 from his jacket. The Master at Arms nodded eagerly and handed the man the key.

"I bet you take it up the ass," Zack shot at the older man as he sat at a desk. "How can you let Cal tell you what to do all the time?"

The man just smiled. "What I do with my life is none of your concern."

Zack scoffed. "You're damn right it isn't. You're a pathetic excuse of a man, so it obviously doesn't make much of a difference." This ticked the older man as he growled and tightened his grip on his Colt, but did nothing.

Jack then joined in, "Cal put you up to this? He doesn't care about you. He'll leave you to waste as soon as he can." This ticked the man even more as he cocked back the hammer of the Colt, which instantly silenced Jack and Zack, earning a grin from the older man. Zack turned and frowned when he looked out of the porthole as water rose up against the glass.

The man now had his feet propped on the desk as he put a .45 bullet on the table, which actually rolled off because of the small tilt of the ship. He caught the bullet before it hit the ground the added it to his clip and cocked the gun back again. "You know… this ship might sink."

Jack looked pretty shocked while Zack just shook his head. The man then got up from the desk and approached the two handcuffed men. "I've been asked to give you two a small token of our appreciation…" he punched Jack hard in the stomach then slammed Zack's head against the wall, almost causing him to lose consciousness has he felt blood trickle down the side of his head.

"Compliments of Caledon Hockley." The gun wielding man grinned widely as he pocked the key and exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

"Well…" Zack managed, "This sucks."

London watched as a distress rocket exploded in the sky, covering her in white light. Molly Brown was convincing reluctant women to enter the lifeboat she was already seated in. London had tried to escape from Cal and go and find Zack, but the man had a tight grip on both her and Rose. "Come on, you heard the man. Get in the boat sister," said Molly as she held out her hand to Ruth, who looked very reluctant to board.

"Will the lifeboats be seated according to class? Goodness, I hope they're not too crowded—" London sighed at the woman's arrogance and Rose grabbed Ruth forcefully.

"Oh mother, shut up!" Ruth froze, mouth open. "Don't you understand? The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats; not enough by half… half the people on this ship are going to die."

"Not the better half," Cal commented, and London could slowly see the realization hit Rose. Jack was third class. He didn't stand a chance. "You unimaginable bastard," she said coldly.

London finally had enough as she released herself from Cal's grip. "I don't know about you," she turned to Rose, "But I'm going back to find my man. Come with me and we'll find them together."

"Come on Rose, you're next up," Molly reached out, but Rose backed away from the boat and to London's side. "Goodbye mother," Rose turned to London and nodded her head.

Cal grabbed Rose before she could walk off. "You're going to him? To be a _whore_ to a gutter rat?" he said furiously, but Rose didn't miss a beat. "I'd rather be his whore than your wife." She tried to turn away but Cal wouldn't let her. Rose struggled to get away, where she cocked her head back and let loose a giant wad of spit right into Cal's face. London grinned in amazement as she and Rose made their way back inside the ship.

"Nice aim," London commented, receiving a proud smile from Rose. "Just like Jack taught me."

* * *

Zack continued to tug at his handcuffs, but since he was actually cuffed **with** Jack, they couldn't really move at all, especially with the large water pipe they were attached to.

"This is hopeless," Jack commented, also trying to get free.

"They'll be back to get us," Zack said nonchalantly

Jack frowned slightly. "I don't know why Rose didn't believe me."

"It's neither of ya'lls faults. That douchebag Cal has had it in for you since day one. Rose will come to her senses." Zack reassured. This calmed Jack, "I just hope it not too late," he replied.

A gurgling sound fill the room, and water began to pour from the doorway, spreading quickly across the floor.

"This is not good!" Zack exclaimed as he and Jack struggled even harder to get out of their cuffs.

* * *

"Mr. Andrews!" London and Rose searched up and down the 1st class hallways in search of the man. They found him when he emerged from a stateroom.

"Thank god!" said an out of breath Rose. "Where would the Master at Arms take someone under arrest?"

Andrews frowned, "What! You have to get to a boat right now!"

But Rose wouldn't have it, "No! We'll do this with or without your help sir, but without will take longer."

Andrews looked to Rose, then London and sighed deeply. "Okay. Go to the elevators and take it to the very bottom. Go left, down the crewman's passage and then make a right."

"Got it. Thank you."

"Please hurry," Andrews turned to London. "Take care of yourself." She nodded as she and Rose rushed off to the elevators, where an operator tried to reason with a couple who obviously wanted to use the elevator. He turned to London and Rose once they neared him.

"I'm sorry ladies, but the lifts are closed."

London growled and grabbed the man and threw him against the back of the elevator. "Listen here you little shit! You're going to take us as far down as this thing goes, and if you don't, I'm going to stick my foot so far up your **fuckin'** ass that you'll wish you were dead!" she roared, frightening the operator and even Rose. The operator fumbled with the controls and finally the lift began to descend.

London fumed as she watched the decks pass. The elevator suddenly slowed as ice cold water poured in, shocking the hell out of everyone. The operator wanted to go back up, but Rose shoved him back as she and London exited the lift. The two women looked around as they heard the elevator rise back up. "Here," Rose pointed and London followed her down the passage until they reached another longer corridor with many doors on both sides.

"Zaaaaack!" London shouted. "Are you here? Jack? Anyb—" she stopped when she heard a clanking noise and some shouts. Rose heard it as well as they located the correct door and shoved it open to see their lovers struggle against a pipe.

London splashed over to Zack and put her arms around him. "I'm so sorry! That man wouldn't let me out of his sight! You know I'd never leave you!" she apologized madly.

"It's alright. Did he do anything to you? Zack asked. London looked away and said nothing, but that was all he needed to know. "Where is that asshole?" he shouted, "I'm gonna kick his f—" but was cut off as London kissed him furiously.

"Look, see if you can find a key to get out of these," Jack said once Rose had finally stopped apologizing to him, "It's a little silver one." London and Rose nodded as they searched around the room. Zack turned towards Jack. "See, what'd I tell ya? You owe me twenty bucks." He joked and Jack smirked.

"Damn it, there's no key here!" London frowned in frustration

Zack sighed as well. "You're going to have to look for help." London quickly moved to him and gave him a quick kiss. Rose did the same to Jack. "I'll be right back, okay?" London grabbed Rose's arm and the two exited the room.

"We'll just wait here," deadpanned Jack.

London and Rose splashed down hallway to a stairwell leading to the next deck, which they climbed, leaving them in yet another long hallway. They were alone, the only sounds being the creaking ship as it settled.

"Hellloooo?" London and Rose shouted, their voices echoing in the empty hallway. The lights faded and went out, leaving them in total blackness as the ship groaned loudly. After a few beats, the lights came back on, where London found herself hyperventilating. That one moment of darkness had been the most terrifying of her life.

A steward with an armful of lifebelts rounded the corner. He looked surprised to see them down here, where he then grabbed both Rose and London and dragged them along with him. "Come on ladies, let's get you topside."

"Wait! We need your help! There are some men—" Rose started, but the man continued on.

"There's no need to panic! Come along you two!"

"Let us go damn you. You're going the wrong way!" London tried as well, but the man continued to ignore her protests. Finally, Rose had enough and punched the man square on the nose, causing him to stagger back. He looked at her in shock.

"To hell with you!" he shouted as he ran off.

"See you there asshole!" London shouted back.

Rose squealed when she spotted an axe sitting it a glass case on the wall, where she used a discarded luggage bag to break it open. She took it and headed back the stairwell, London trailing behind her.

"Oh my god…"

The water now covered most of the steps, and London had to crouch just to look down the corridor, which was half flooded. She tossed off her jacket and unbuttoned her shirt about halfway while loosening her tie. She plunged into the water and cried out in surprise at the freezing water, which was waist high. She tugged Rose along with her as they made it back to the room, where Jack and Zack had now climbed onto a table to avoid the water.

"Will this work?" Rose said, showing the axe.

"It's gonna have to," Jack said, and they all were terrified by this point but were trying to keep panic at bay. He and Zack positioned the chain linking the cuff along the pipe, stretching it out as far as they could.

"Try a few swings on that thing," Zack pointed to a wooden cabinet. Rose heaved the axe back and slammed it into the cabinet. "Okay, see if you can hit the same mark again Rose. You can do it," Jack added. Rose swung the axe hard into the cabinet again, landing about four inches away from her first mark.

"…that's enough practice," Jack said as he and Zack stretched the chain as much as they could, still only leaving a space of an inch or two.

"You can do it Rose!" London encouraged her on, "Just hit it as hard as you can. And spread your hands out a little more so you can have more leverage," she moved Rose's grip on the axe a few inches apart. She closed her eyes as Rose lifted the axe into the air, and winced as she heard a loud **k-whang!** London gingerly opened her eyes, where Jack was grinning and Zack has his hands balled into fists and in the air.

"Goooallll!" Zack shouted and mobbed Rose, as did Jack and London and they all jumped for joy. "Nice work there Paul Bunyan," Jack said. London pulled Zack into a tight hug.

"Now let's get the hell out of here!" she said, and Zack jumped into the water to follow, when he began to curse. "Shit! Excuse my French, but ow, ow, ow; this water is f'in cold!" the four friends exited the room, where the water was now up to their chests.

"This is the way out!" Rose pointed to the stairwell, which could barely be seen above the water.

"No good. We gotta find another way. Come on!" said Jack as he led them toward the less flooded section.

* * *

**A note about the boats: The **_Titanic_** held 20 lifeboats, which was actually **more** than required at the time. But do the math. If every lifeboat was filled to the max (60) and there were 20 boats, that puts a total of 1200 in the lifeboats, still leaving around a 1000 people to fend for themselves (2200 crew/passengers aboard) But most of the lifeboats were barely half filled, so its estimated that only 700 or so people made it into the lifeboats, leaving around 1500 people in the water. Because of this discrepancy, many maritime laws were rewritten after the sinking so that there were always enough lifeboats for all passengers aboard a ship.**


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter ended in a totally different way that had originally written. I realized that I was following the movie too much and decided to go a new route. This also causes me to have to rewrite the ending of this story, but I look forward to that. Again sorry for any mistakes. Hope you guys enjoy this. Also i put another note about the ship at the bottom.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**Crashh!**

The door finally gave way, and Jack, Rose, London, and Zack stumbled through. A steward who was nearby handing out lifebelts marched over to them. "Here you! You'll have to pay for that, don't you know? That's White Star Line property—"

"Shut up!" the four said together, leaving the steward stunned. They joined the steerage stragglers going down the hallway. In places the corridor was nearly blocked off by families carrying large amounts of luggage. An Irish woman gave London a blanket, more for modesty, as she is blue-lipped and shivering. Zack rubbed her arms to help warm her as they walk along. The woman's husband offered them a flask of whiskey.

"This'll take the chill off." London took a mighty swig and handed it to Zack, who grinned and took a sip himself. He handed it to Jack and Rose, who also took drinks as they all continued down the hallway.

"Fabrizio!" Jack shouted as he spotted his Italian friend. Jack and Fabrizio hugged each other like brothers. "The boats are all going!" Fabrizio exclaimed.

"This whole place is flooding; we got to get out of here. Where's Tommy?" Fabrizio pointed to the large crowd packed around the stairwell leading up. Tommy was yelling furiously at the stewards who refused to open the gate. He finally gave up and descended the stairs, where he then joined up with Jack and the others.

"It's hopeless that way!" shouted an angry Tommy.

"Whatever we do, we gotta do it fast or we're good as dead," Zack said.

"There's _niente_ this way!" Fabrizio shouted, indicating the stairwell.

"Come on, we'll try this way!" Jack led the party of six down another hallway, where they quickly got lost. They pushed past many confused passengers who argued with each other in several languages as panic had already in. The group came to a stairwell, which they ascended up two decks before they were stopped by a small group pressing up against a locked gate manned by a steward.

"Look! Go back to the main stairwell. It'll all be sorted from there!" the steward was trying to reason with the stragglers. Zack took one look at this and finally lost his calm exterior.

"You mother fucker! There are women and children down here and you've got us locked down like animals! Let us out of here so we at least have a fighting chance!" he screamed, shaking the gate in frustration, but the steward didn't budge.

London saw a bench bolted to the floor and began to tug at it. Seeing this, Jack, Tommy, and Fabrizio pitched in until they ripped the bench right from the floor. Realizing what they were doing, Rose and Zack began to move people aside to clear a path.

"Alright! One, two **three!**" London led the charge as she and the others rammed the bench into the gate as hard as they could. The gate bent under the weight, but didn't break. "Again!" They rammed the bench even harder into the gate, which finally gave way under the force. People began to pour through the now open stairwell. The steward tried to protest but Jack sent him to the floor with a punch.

After a few minutes of climbing various stairwells, the group of six burst out onto the boat deck, where they saw all the empty davits. "The boats are gone!" Rose exclaimed. She saw a fellow first class gentlemen in a top hat and asked him about any more boats, where he pointed forward. Rose grabbed Jack and they all headed towards the few remaining boats. Tommy commented as they passed the band, which was incredibly still playing.

They reached one of the few remaining boats, and it was a madhouse. People were shouting and shoving each other as goodbye's were being said. One of the officers was even waving around a pistol just to keep the mob back. "Tommy, Fabri. Check the other side," Jack pointed to port, where the two nodded and raced off. Jack and Zack continued to push Rose and London through the crowd so they would be spotted.

London figured out what was going on. "Zack, I'm not going without you."

Zack sighed heavily. "Please. Don't do this. This is hard enough already."

Seemingly out of nowhere, Cal walks up. "Yes. Get in the damn boat ladies." They were all shocked to see him, and he was stunned to see Rose's bedraggled state. He took of his coat and threw it onto Rose, more for modesty than anything.

"Look, go on and I'll find another one," Zack was trying his hardest to get London into the boat, but she wouldn't budge.

"No damn it! I know I won't see you again if I do!" London doesn't give a damn that Cal's standing right there and getting angrier by the moment, as Rose was not budging either.

Cal then leaned in, "There are boats on the other side letting men on. Jack, Zack, and I can catch one of those and get off safely. All three of us."

Jack smiled reassuringly to the two women. "See, we'll be alright. We've got our own boat to catch. Hurry along, this one's almost full."

The officer grabbed London's arm and pulled her to the boat. She reached out for Zack and their fingers brushed against each others for a brief second, but then found herself stepping down into the boat as Rose was being dragged in as well. As soon as they were seated, the order was given to lower the boat.

London stared up as tears poured down her face. People all around her were shouting, but she heard nothing but the rapid pounding of her heart. Another distress rocket exploded over her head, outlining Zack in a halo of light. Her hair was blowing in all directions, and she could see Zack's hands shaking as he fought back his own tears. London knew that if he stayed, his chances of survival were near zero, and she **would not** accept that. She couldn't believe the unbearable pain she was feeling. She sees that the boat she is in is passing the A-Deck promenade, and she gets an idea…

Suddenly London is moving. She stepped over a few people to reach the edge of the boat where she suddenly leaped out and grabbed onto the edge railing of the promenade deck, where she then was helped over by two men. She turned around to see Rose doing the same thing as she dived for the railing as well, where London helped her climb back onto the deck. The lifeboat continued down, but London and Rose were back on the _Titanic._

London held Rose's hand as they ran through the promenade deck, looking for a way back into the ship. They entered a revolving door and into the grand staircase, where they saw Jack and Zack entering the top landing. They rushed down the stairs, and London practically leapt into Zack's arms, where he caught her mid air.

"What the hell were you thinking? Why'd you do that?" All the while Zack is kissing and hugging and holding her as tight as he can.

"There's no point in living if you can't feel alive. And I can't feel alive without you Zack," she said, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Neither could I," he said as he kissed the top of her head. "Look, it's okay, we'll figure a way around this." The two gathered with Rose and Jack and they all shared hugs.

"Shit! Duck!" Jack shouted, and Zack lowered his head to feel a bullet wizz past his head. He looked up at the top landing to see that Cal was pointing a gun, looking on the brink of insanity. Zack pulled London down the stairs leading to the next deck as Jack and Rose followed while Cal continued to be trigger happy.

The bottom of the staircase was flooded several feet. The four bolted down the stairs and leapt onto the water, heading to the part of the room that sloped up, until they reached dry footing in the dining saloon. Cal fired off one last shot, which hit a window separating the rooms instead of Rose's forehead. They heard him groan as he had run out of ammo. "I hope you all enjoy your time together!" he shouted.

They ran through the dining room as water waded further into the room, sending tables and chairs floating off. They reached the kitchens where they spotted the stairs. Rose began up, but Jack pulled her back.

"This is where we go our separate ways," Jack looked at Zack and London, "You go up and we'll head down."

London wanted to protest but instead she just hugged Rose tightly. "Good luck," she said, kissing her on the cheek. Zack and Jack exchanged a handshake and a brotherly hug. Rose gave Zack and London one last look as Jack led her down. Zack and London hoped it wasn't the last time they saw them alive.

"We have to go," Zack said, tugging London away from where Jack and Rose stood not a second ago. Water was beginning to flood into the kitchen, so the two took the stairs upward, where it brought them back the C-deck level of the grand staircase, which was already half flooded.

The ship suddenly lurched down a few more degrees, creating a giant wave pool as people started to swim harder for the stairs. London was exhausted and Zack was practically dragging her with him as they battled through the water. After a heavy struggle, they managed to make it to the top of the staircase. London bent over, gasping for air. She was soaked from head to toe and shivering slightly.

"We can't stop here. We have to get outside," Zack said, just as spent. Water was quickly filling the room to the point where the top level was the only dry place in the room. Several windows then shattered, letting in more water and sucking in unfortunate people from outside who were trying to escape. The piano which London had been playing on hours ago tipped over, the two side-stepping it.

London took a few seconds to recover her breath and eventually nodded. But as they began to look for a way out, a loud rumbling filled the room and the lights dimmed. Zack and London looked up with wide eyes in shock.

"Oh my—"

They looked up in time to see the 30 foot glass dome overhead shatter as seventy tons of water quickly poured in, emitting sparks and engulfing the many people and their screams. _The Armageddon of elegance_; It's an image that will follow London and Zack the rest of their lives.

"**Run!**" Zack shouted, but London didn't need to be told twice as she and Zack sprinted down the nearest corridor with led to the suites as the rush of water trailed behind them. The pressure of the water was so strong that it was collapsing through the nearby rooms. They passed their suite B58 for the last time as the force of water flung the door and narrowly hit London, who had to duck.

The water finally caught up to them and swept them off their feet. London screamed and latched onto Zack as the water swept them down the corridor toward a set of stained glass windows. The force of the water propelled them right through the windows and out to the deck, their backs hitting hard on the outside railing. Using the railing as a stopgap, Zack managed to somehow drag himself and London away from the rush of water before it drowned them and up the deck where they were dry for the moment.

"Jesus, are you okay? You're bleeding," Zack asked London, who now had a number of bleeding cuts on her face.

"I'm okay," London ran her fingers down the side of her face and almost became sick when she saw her fingers covered in blood. Ignoring the pain for the moment, she looked ahead and saw the massive amount of people crowded at the stern. Judging by the angle of the ship, she knew there was no way that she and Zack could make it up there in time, but yet they couldn't stay where they were. People were already sliding down the decks as the angle continued to increase.

Zack used all his effort to help them move up as much as they could, as it was almost impossible to keep footing. They were also avoiding several items which were falling their way, as the severe tilt caused anything not bolted to the ground to shift. They managed to climb their way so they were now between the third and forth funnel, where they had to stop because it then became impossible to move without the risk of falling.

The lights flickered for last time and went out; now covering the area is darkness, causing many people to scream out. The ship let out a loud groan in protest. London felt her feet shaking, and she looked down the see the wooden deck below her forming several cracks. It took her only a millisecond to realize…

"Fuck! We have to move right now!" she shouted as the ship was splitting in half right where they stood.

Zack furiously looked around for anything that would help them, and he saw an overturned lifeboat floating away to the ship with a few officers and stragglers attached to it. He saw no other options, so he pointed it out to London. "We have to go for it. Hang on to me!" London wrapped her arms around his waist, and the two dove into the sea just as the deck cracked open.

They quickly emerged and swam as fast as they could for the lifeboat, which was only a few yards away from them. They finally reached it where an officer and another man helped London on, then Zack himself. Everyone on the boat turned to see the great liner splitting into two, causing the 30,000 ton stern to flop back into the water.

The massive wave caused by the dropping stern almost threw everyone off of the overturned lifeboat, but it also actually propelled them several yards from the ship, which was a good thing. Water rushed into the gaping hole where the ship had split, sucking anything and anybody unfortunate enough to be near.

Then the reality of physics kicked in. Pulled down by the awesome weight of the flooded bow, the stern began to rise rapidly. People began sliding down in bunches as the stern rose to 45 degrees, then 60, continuing to increase its angle until the stern incredibly settled at 90 degrees, now pointing straight into the air. It stayed there for a few moments as the buoyancy evened out.

Petrified, Zack and London stared in horror at the sight, wondering if Jack and Rose were still somewhere on there. After a few tedious moments, the stern began its final descent into the ocean. Many explosions could be heard as trapped air was being forced out in violent ways, ripping the ship apart from the inside out. The screams could still be heard even as the stern continued to drop. And with a loud gurgling sound, the ship finally slipped into the deep abyss.

It would be another 73 years before the _Titanic_ would ever be seen again by the eyes of man.

* * *

It is widely known that the lookouts complained about not having any binoculars, as the officers couldn't locate any for them. But after the wreck was found, divers discovered** almost a hundred** pairs of binoculars within the debris field around the bow. Very ironic, no?

Also, the remains of the Grand Staircase have yet to be found. The woodwork would obviously be gone, but the steel framing of it would most likely still remain, but has yet to be located. Even the steel structure of the dome has been found at the bottom. But the only thing that remains is the giant hole that goes down several decks where the staircase once stood.


	8. Chapter 8

**There will be _at least one more chapter_ after this, which contains a nice twist to end it. I'm still not sure exactly how it's going to end, but either way, there will be a twist. And this was by far one of the most difficult chapters I've ever written for any story. I really hope you guys enjoy this, and don't hesitate to leave review, which I appreciate.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

The tremendous wailing and screaming of fifteen hundred tormented souls was the most horrific sound Zack had ever heard. London was holding onto him tightly as they combined their body heat to stop from shivering. Suddenly London lifted her head and screamed, and everyone turned to her.

The **devil** was right in front of her face. It was actually a black French bulldog swimming right at her, its black eyes bugging. It motored right past her and the boat as if it was paddling its way to New York.

"It's okay," Zack kissed her forehead to comfort and calm her down. She continued to cry as they struggled to stay on the overturned boat.

The wave from the stern falling back into the water had propelled the overturned lifeboat near the other boats, and the officer next to Zack was waving his arms madly to attract their attention, where he finally did. A nearby boat tossed a rope and the officer tied it to their own, and they were literally towed in. Immediately, London and Zack were helped off and into another lifeboat, and they in turn helped load the others off the overturned boat.

The officer of the new lifeboat they were in gathered a couple more boats and tied them all together, making a group of four. London just shook her head as she saw that the other attached boats were barely half full. The officer, a young Welsh man, took one look at this and instantly snapped into action.

"Right! Everyone listen to me!" he shouted, and everyone turned to him. "We have to go back! Now, I want everyone from this and this boat into that boat. Right now!" he commanded. For a second, nobody moved until London stood up, and immediately everyone else followed. "Now, anybody who can man an oar come see me."

Zack stood up and London followed him and approached the officer. "Gimme an oar," he said, wanting to do something—anything.

"Count me in as well," London said. Zack turned to her, as did the officer. "You stay here," Zack pointed to another lifeboat, "I don't want you to—"

"Damn it Zack! I'd rather do this than just sit on my ass in a lifeboat freezing to death!" she shot back, ignoring the intense sting of the cuts on her face. Zack really didn't want her to come, but he saw her determined look and caved. He turned to the officer for confirmation.

"At this point I'll take all the help I can get. If your wife wants to come, it's fine by me."

Zack didn't even catch that the man thought they were married. He sighed deeply, knowing London just wanted to help. "All right god dammit. Come on."

"Harold Lowe," the officer then introduced.

It took a good half hour to get all the boats sorted and to get more volunteers. By this time the pleas and the screams from where the ship went under had quieted greatly. With Zack and three other men manning the oars, Lowe gave London a searchlight and placed her at the front of the boat to be on lookout.

They put some distance between the other boats, now only blackness and the star studded sky ahead of them. There were no sounds except for the water against the oars and the gentle creaking of the boat itself. London turned her electric torch to the sea in front of her and stopped when she saw a corpse. It was a frozen dark haired man in a tuxedo whose eyes were sealed shut.

She pushed back the bile in her throat and moved her light further ahead. Suddenly they were all staring into an entire field filled with dead, floating, lifebelted passengers.

"Holy mother of god," Zack mumbled.

"Do you see any moving?" Lowe asked while manning the tiller with his own light.

"No sir," one of the other rowers responded.

"_Check them_," Lowe insisted. "Bring your oars up and in. _Don't hit them._"

"T-the-these are all d-ddead," London leaned over the side of the boat and promptly threw up, the worst moment of her life. The bodies thunked against the boat as they slowly made their way through.

"We've waited too long…" Lowe trailed off as he surveyed the floating graveyard. "Well, keep checking them!" he said, blinking away tears, embarrassed as everyone turned to him. "Keep tryin'!"

Nobody said a word. There was no movement in the field of souls.

"Is anyone alive out there!" Lowe shouted desperately.

Zack trembled as he gripped his oar, trying not to stare too deeply into the many frozen faces. The silence was frightening; to see so many people but no signs of activity. "There's gotta be somebody alive out here… anybody," he whispered.

"Hellloooo?" Lowe called out again. They were reaching the end of the field and would have to change direction soon and enter another part.

Without warning, the blast of a whistle cut across the silent ocean in long shaky beats. Everyone in the boat jumped a mile at the sound, and London whipped her light towards where she thought was the source of the sound. "Show yourself!" she shouted while shining her light to look for any movement.

The whistle continued to blow, hope rising in everyone as they turned the boat towards the sound. London continued to search for the source with her light and finally found it. "Over there!" she pointed, and Zack increased his rowing effort, relieved to finally stumble upon any source of life. The whistle grew louder as they approached, and London shined her light upon the survivor.

At first, London didn't recognize the woman, who was still blowing the whistle even as Zack and another rower pulled her out of the water and into the boat. The woman had blazing red hair which was filled with frost and deep circles under her eyes. And only after a double take did London finally realize who it was.

"L-Lond-don," Rose said, voice barely audible.

London swallowed. "Jack…?"

There was a splash from behind, and London quickly turned her light to see a man slowly swimming towards them. They rowed towards him to clear the distance, and Zack instantly recognized the man as he and Lowe hoisted him out of the water.

"Jack!" Zack shouted as he threw a heavy wool blanket over him. Jack was shivering madly, but still managed to give a shaky thumbs up before he turned to Rose and promptly lost consciousness.

"You know these two?" Lowe turned to London with curiosity.

"Friends of ours." She said simply. Lowe didn't press any further.

They made one final pass through the fields. Just when they were about to give it up, London's light came upon a man who was frozen to a deck chair but still conscious. They rowed in as close as they could and began to help the man in. Zack couldn't believe who it was when he saw the man's face. He looked towards London, a scowl on his own face.

"We can't leave him. Nobody deserves to die like this—not even him," she said, and Zack just sighed as he and Lowe hauled Cal's right-hand man into the boat and threw blankets over him. The older man mumbled something but nobody caught it before he passed out.

For another ten minutes, they searched through the field and managed to recover three more people. Lowe called out the time, with was 3:39. It had been more than an hour after the ship had sunk. After picking up the three other survivors, they called it quits; no way was it humanly possible to survive in the freezing water for that long.

"What do we do now?" London asked Zack, who was taking a break from rowing.

"The only thing we can do—wait." Zack looked as he was going to pass out from exhaustion. His eyes were drooping as he struggled to keep them open. "If I doze off, wake me will ya?"

"I should just let you sleep."

"I mean it."

"Alright," London adjusted the blanket around her shoulders. "Same with me." She turned towards the blue tinted horizon, knowing that the sun would be rising soon. She was too tired to even think about what the next few hours would bring, and before she knew it, she slowly let her eyelids drop.

* * *

"London!"

"Wha-?" she blinked several times. '_Damn. How long was I out?_'

"Almost an hour," Zack practically read her mind. "I think I dozed off as well."

London turned towards the horizon, which was significantly brighter as sunrise approached. She squinted, and it was only then she noticed another light. She nudged Lowe, who has also dozed off. "Look at that!"

Lowe immediately stood up and threw off his blanket. "Look there men!" he pointed in the direction of the new flicker of light.

"Holy hell it's a ship!" one the men cried out, waking everyone else who had dozed off. Everyone's faces brightened considerably, now having something to look forward to. Lowe then lit a green flare and waved it madly in the air to attract the ship's attention.

Everyone's rowing efforts increased, and even London pitched is they made a mad dash for the ship. It still took them a little over an hour to reach the ship, and the sun was slowly creeping up and over the horizon.

* * *

Zack helped Rose climb up the rope ladder that led to the _Carpathia's_ deck. London helped Jack and Cal's right-hand man up the ladder, as they could barely stand. Zack and London were the last to board, followed by Lowe, who was equally exhausted. Jack, Rose, and the older man were quickly escorted to the infirmary for a checkup while Zack, London, and Lowe were quickly examined and determined to be in good health, where they were then handed hot cups of tea.

"I would like to thank you guys for everything," said Lowe, taking a seat in an open deck chair.

"Just had to do something, you know?" Zack said, holding London's hand for comfort.

Lowe nodded in agreement. He opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted by an officer from the _Carpathia_. "Are you Mr. Harold Lowe?"

"Yes sir," said Lowe.

"You're wanted on the bridge," the officer said politely, "You'll find a few of your fellow officers there as well."

Lowe's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank you," he said, nodding a little. "Sorry to ask, but do you have a pen and some paper?"

"Certainly," the officer pulled a pen and small sheet of paper from his jacket. Lowe took the items and scribbled something on it, then presented it to Zack. "This here is my address in New York. I suppose I'll be in the states for a while, and I hope that we can stay in contact if it's not too much trouble."

Zack and London grinned, slightly surprised. "Absolutely," London said. "We'll definitely keep in touch. And you're welcome in our home anytime."

This got Lowe to smile for the first time all morning. "Great. Well… I suppose I'm off. Stay safe," he shook Zack and London's hands before following the officer off towards the bridge.

Zack and London decided to head off to the infirmary, wanting to see how Jack and Rose were doing. As they entered, they ran into Cal's right-hand man, who was still exhausted but at least standing. London let him and Zack be, choosing to have her face and ribs looked at, the pain becoming almost unbearable.

"I see you've recovered." Zack tried to cover the bitterness in his voice.

"Yes I have." The man's cockiness was long gone, replaced by something Zack couldn't put a finger on. _Remorse? _"It was you saved me from the water, wasn't it?'

"Indeed."

"Why?"

This simple question left Zack stumped, not really knowing how to respond. After some thought, he finally said, "You didn't deserve to die like that. Not even after what you put my friends and I through."

The older man's expression didn't change, but Zack knew he was battling his emotions. "For what it's worth… thank you."

"You're welcome."

The man sighed. "I know it…won't happen overnight," he looked down, having a tough time trying to form words, "But I hope that one day… I can earn your forgiveness."

For unexplained reasons, Zack just couldn't reject the request. He knew this man would be battling demons for the rest of his days, and he couldn't hold himself to add to the misery. Not even this man, who basically left him and Jack for dead.

"You're right—it won't happen overnight, but I have to make the effort. Everyone deserves a second chance. Maybe, if time is good to us, we can possibly be friends."

The man's eyes widened, clearly not expecting that response. "I'd like that." He held out his hand. "Spicer Lovejoy."

Zack looked at the outstretched hand. This man obviously wanted a truce between them. "Zack Martin," he shook the man's hand with a firm grip.

"I'll speak to Miss Rose's friend after he recovers," Lovejoy spoke.

Zack nodded his head. "Good idea. And may I suggest you never work for anybody named Hockley every again?"

The older man grinned, and so did Zack. "You can count on that." The older man wrapped his blanket tighter around himself as he walked off.

Zack decided to process that confrontation later as he went to check on everyone. He discovered Jack and Rose awake and excitedly chatting with each other and a nurse examining London, who grimaced when her side was touched.

"Well, it seems you have a partially cracked rib and several laceration on your face," the nurse started. "Your rib will heal on its own, but strenuous activity is not advised for at least a month. And your cuts…" the nurse finished rubbing antiseptic on the cuts, which caused London to grimace, "Most will heal, but one or two will remain due to the damage from the saltwater. If possible, I would suggest seeing a specialist once we dock."

Zack knew about the cuts, but the cracked rib surprised him. He'd ask about that later, as all he cared about was that London was okay.

"Hey beautiful," he said as the nurse cleared finished London. He kissed her before she could even respond. "How're you feeling?"

"Like shit," she said, but grinned. "But alive."

"Guys!" London and Zack turned to see Rose and Jack bulrushing them.

* * *

"That's nuts," London marveled at Jack and Rose's story. Zack and London had already given their story.

"Nuts or not, we're all alive. That's what counts." Jack looked up at the sky. After a fairly long beat, "I'm going to find us something to eat. I'll be back in a few." He gave Rose a kiss before venturing off.

Zack, London, and Rose sat on the deck among the other steerage survivors. London saw a man in a tuxedo walking along the deck, his suit torn in places, and she gasped loudly when the man turned in their direction.

"No fucking way."

Rose and Zack followed her gaze. Zack instantly became angry while Rose backed away. The man quickly approach, and by some sick coincidence, the three were staring at a bedraggled Cal.

"That's far enough." Zack stood in front of Rose and London.

"Yes, I lived…how awkward for you," Rose said, holding onto London's hand for support.

Cal tried to move closer but Zack wouldn't allow it. "Rose... your mother and I have been looking for you—" Rose held up a hand to stop him.

"Don't talk. I am with Jack now. And yes…" She added, seeing Cal's eyes widen, "He did survive, no thanks to you. But now, from this moment on, you do not exist for me, nor I for you. You will never see me again, and you will not make attempts to find me or Jack. In return, we will keep our silence. Your actions from last night never need to come to light, and you'll be able to keep the honor that you have carefully bought. Is this anyway unclear?"

Cal just stood there, blinking, and after a long beat, "What do I tell your mother?"

"Tell her that her daughter died with the _Titanic."_ Rose slinked back behind London, dismissing him.

Cal opened his mouth to speak again, but this time Zack cut him off. "I should kill you where you stand. Now I suggest you get the hell out of our sight. And to back up Rose, if you do try to track any of us down, I **will** kill you, and I'll leave you wherever I find you. Do you understand?"

Cal just nodded dumbly in fear, turning away and quickly scurried back to wherever he came from.

"Of all the good people who died, how does he still have the right to live?" London noted sadly.

"Honey, if I knew the answer to that, he'd be dead right now." Zack said coldly.

"Hey guys." The three turned to see Jack holding trays with food for them to eat. "What'd I miss?"

Rose kissed Jack, almost causing him to drop the trays. "Not a damn thing."

* * *

_April 18__th__, 1912_

Zack and London stared up through the night rain as the Statue of Liberty passed them. It was Jack and Rose's turn with the umbrella, so they were drenched head to toe by the rain.

"So what do we do now?" London asked as she leaned against Zack.

"London," Zack started, "I haven't the faintest clue. But wingin' it has worked for us so far, hasn't it?"

"Indeed." London then frowned once she got to thinking. "But now it looks like we're permanently stuck here. How are we supposed to live, knowing we don't belong here?"

Zack continued to stare at Lady Liberty. "As long as we're together, I don't give a damn where we are. And don't ever say that—we will always belong. We have Jack and Rose to guide us along. We'll make it—trust me."

This brightened London's face considerably, and Zack was happy to see her smile for the first time in days. "I do trust you. And god… I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you."

Zack turned to London, who was grinning even wider. "And I love you," Zack said, kissing her with everything he had. They eventually had to take a break from their session, as the need for air was becoming more important.

"You know," Zack grinned devilishly, "Since we might be here a long time, I know a good way to get started."

"What's that?" London saw the sparkle in his eyes.

"Will you marry me?" he said calmly as if he was chatting about the weather.

London didn't even have to consider it, knowing she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man in this lifetime or any other.

"I will." She leapt into his arms and moved to kiss him, but Jack and Rose decided that was the perfect moment to trade back the umbrella.

"We're not interrupting anything are we?"

"Matter of fact you are," Zack quipped, causing Rose and Jack to grin. Rose put her hands into her coat pocket, causing her to instantly frown when she felt something. Seeing this, Zack gently put down London. "What's wrong?"

She dug deeper into her pocket and pulled of the Heart of the Ocean.

"Holy shit," Jack summarized for everyone.

"This doesn't change a thing though, does it?" London asked, already knowing the answer.

Jack and Rose looked at each other. "Nope."

* * *

_Carpathia_ is the name of the ship which responded to _Titanic's _rescue call. In a strange twist, it was later on discovered that there was actually another ship nearby, the _Californian_. Both inquiries found that it was only twenty or so miles away and failed to properly responded. The ship was actually close enough to see the _Titanic's_ distress rockets, but chose not to respond.


	9. Ending

**This is it. I actually wrote two endings, this being the first. It took me a few tries to get this right, and I still feel there's a quirk or two, but I am very happy with what I've written. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and encouraged me to continue throughout the story. It makes me happy to see that people do enjoy this story. This story was a challenge for me, but has helped grow my writing ability. As always, please try to ignore any mis-types or goofs. I'll also post the other ending that I wrote, and you (the reader) can choose which ending is to your liking.**

* * *

**Conclusion**

"It's rigged!" Zack moved his piece to _'Jail'_ while the others just laughed at him. They were playing an early version of Monopoly. Zack was still teaching them how to play, and even though the board was much different, they played how somebody would today.

"Hey Jack-off," Zack joked, seeing Jack enter the house carrying his trademark sketch portfolio.

"Zack-ass," he joked back. "Where's—"

"In the kitchen with London. How was business?"

"Slow, considering its Thanksgiving. But I did get a few in."

"Nice," he turned towards the Monopoly game. "Guys, I'm gonna take a break, so go without me." The others just grunted, too engrossed in their game to really listen. Zack took a seat on the couch and pondered the last seven months.

Upon reaching New York, it had been a media frenzy. Nearly 30,000 people lined the docks wanting to talk to the _Titanic_ survivors. Rose, Jack, London, and Zack stuck with each other, not really knowing where to go.

This is where they met London's father—at least in this time period—Wilfred Tipton I. A jolly man, he was a far contrast from the Tipton that Zack had come to know back home. London felt really awkward meeting her great grandfather, who was actually her father in this time, but he was immediately liked by everyone, a humorous and friendly man. He instantly took them all in and helped them all get on their feet and to help recover from the tragedy.

It took everyone a month or two to adjust to their new lives, especially Zack and London, but they eventually got the hang of it.

Rose and Jack married on the 1st of May, with only London, Zack, Wifred Tipton, and Harold Lowe attending. Mr. Tipton then bought the newlyweds a cottage in upstate New York, ignoring their protests. He also purchased one right next door to them for London and Zack, which he said was an 'early wedding gift'. The two decided to hold off their wedding until December at London's request.

Zack mostly stayed at home but frequented Jack's company, and two were frequently seen working with each other. Jack was an artist, where he took his talents to parks and drew portraits. He did the work and Zack helped him collect. Using favours that were owed to Mr. Tipton, Zack managed to get Jack's art and drawings known, and now he helped Jack manage a large list of wealthy people who paid top dollar for Jack's talents.

Rose was in the beginning stages of becoming an actor, which Jack, Zack, and London were pleased with. She was obviously a looker, which helped her get into the door. London, a 'self proclaimed actor' herself, helped Rose fine-tune her game.

London herself was well known and respected by many people. She was the heir to Tipton Industries, where currently Mr. Tipton was showing her the ropes. She was also a fashion module, sporting trends that wouldn't become popular for another hundred years. Wherever she went people marveled at her fashion, and London was proud to see that she had an influence in changing women's trends, which was very conservative for the time.

It was a cool sunny day in late November, and they were all celebrating Thanksgiving. London, who had never actually celebrated a holiday with true friends and family, was absolutely thrilled. Jack and Rose were invited of course, along with Harold Lowe and Spicer Lovejoy.

Jack wasn't thrilled with Lovejoy for the longest time, which was understandable, but over time he softened up on the older man. He was full of stories about how he used to be a cop at the legendary Scotland Yard. Zack knew most of his stories were laced with bullshit, but that's what made the man interesting to be around. He now worked for Mr. Tipton as his personal bodyguard.

Harold Lowe became fast friends of the four. He was a young man only five years elder of London and was quite the handsome Welsh man. Many women swooned over him, and London jokingly berated him for not being aware of his options. Lowe weakly claimed to have no knowledge of this, which everyone knew was bogus. He secretly loved the attention.

"Food's done," London emerged from the kitchen, interrupting Zack's thoughts. Immediately Lovejoy jetted for the dining room, quickly followed by Lowe and Jack. Zack laughed as they tried to all fit into the too small doorway at the same time. Rose emerged behind London and the two laughed at the sight. She kissed London on the cheek and moved to the dining room, where the men had finally sorted themselves out.

"I'm not that great of a cook, but Rose helped me out and hopefully the food will—" London started but Zack cut her off with a heated kiss. "It'll be excellent, I am sure of that," Zack said. London was always confident about everything except her cooking.

"Thank you dear," she smirked. She looked down at the pie in her hands. "I'm going to take a quick trip out and give this to my father. Want to join me?"

"Sure, but I'm driving. You drive like a bat outta hell!" he exclaimed and grabbed the keys to the Renault, which they often shared with Jack and Rose. London just smiled as she left the house, yelling to the rest that they were going out. Zack quickly started the car up and they were on their way.

"How you holding up?" Zack started seriously.

"Better each day I guess…" London looked out the window. "It's tough. I admit that some nights I go to sleep thinking I'll wake up from all of this and be back home. At least some of the nightmares from the sinking have gone away."

Zack nodded in agreement. He did miss back home, and he too had nightmares once in a while. Though he would never admit, he missed his brother dearly, even if he did get on his nerves. He missed them all—even Moseby and Woody. He and London both knew things would never be the same, but all they could do was be in it together, and things would turn out okay.

"Any regrets?"

"Absolutely not," London answered. "I love you and you love me, and that is all that matters."

Zack turned to her and found her smiling widely. "Neither do I. I wouldn't have it any other way." He leaned in to give London a quick peck on the cheek but she turned away and screamed, pointing in front of her.

"Zack watch out!" He turned back towards the road and screamed himself. He slammed on the brakes, but it was no use. They had missed the curve and drove right off the hill, where it almost a hundred foot drop to the valley. London hugged Zack tightly and closer her eyes, not wanting to watch. Zack, though, kept his eyes opened, taking in his last sights of the love of his life. Just before they hit the ground, he shut his eyes, so he didn't notice the white light cover everything as he waited for impact.

But it never came.

* * *

"GahhhHHHH!"

Moseby burst through the door at London's scream. He had been put on watch for when she woke up. "London! Calm down!" He rushed to the bathroom and filled a cup with cold water before tossing it on her face, causing her to sputter but at least stop screaming.

"Wha—" London looked around in shock. She recognized it as her and Bailey's cabin inside the _SS Tipton_, and she was staring at a concerned Marion Moseby. "What's going on?"

"Just calm down," Moseby helped dry off her face with a towel. "You've been asleep for two days straight. All our attempts to wake you had been futile until now."

"Where's Zack?" London asked, immediately noticing he was not in the room.

"He's—" Moseby was cut off by his ringing cell phone, which he picked up. "What!" _a beat,_ "She just woke up," _another beat,_ "Okay, I'll tell her." He closed his phone and turned back to London, who by this point was beginning to look hysterical. "Zack just woke up as well."

Hearing this, London physically and mentally relaxed, letting out a huge sigh. But many questions still needed to be answered. "Take me to him."

"London, you're in no condition to—"

"**NOWWWW!"**

**

* * *

**

"How'd you find us?" asked Zack. Maddie, Cody, Bailey, Moseby, and Tutweiller were all piled into Zack's cabin.

"We found you floating in the ocean on deck chairs. Must've been thrown overboard when the ship threw a propeller," Moseby said.

"That explains why the ship shook so hard," Zack said, but then added, "But it still doesn't explain…" he trailed off, turning to London and whispering so she could only hear. "Did all that stuff really happen to us, or were we just imagining it?"

London frowned before answering back, "If none of that was real, that I don't know what is anymore. Plus, I've still got the scars to prove it." She picked up a hand mirror and ran her fingers down the side of her face. Most of the scars were gone, but still had a small cut down her jaw and on her chin. But the most prominent one was a lowercase backwards 'r' on her cheek. There was also a faint red glow emitting.

"Experimental technology," Cody started reading from his laptop, "Advanced surgery and cybernetics. I did some research and you're only the second person to use it. Perfect except for one side effect."

"Why is it red?" asked a curious Maddie, who also could see the faint red glow.

"Don't know. But negative thoughts and actions will actually make the scars more noticeable." London thought back to where Cal had framed Jack and also gotten Zack arrested, never angrier in her entire life.

"Whoa," Bailey and the others watched in awe as her scars became more prominent and the red glow brightened. "And, uh," Cody continued, "It also says that positive thoughts and actions should have the opposite reaction."

London thought of her amazing night with Zack, and she watched as the red glow turned a light blue, the scars almost disappearing.

Zack just shook his head at the display. "Hell London, you'll always be beautiful. Personally, I think the scars make you look sexier."

London grinned and gave him a peck on the lips, earning shocked and curious looks from the others. "Well, uh…" Moseby started, shocked at the display, "In other news, a woman left this package for you yesterday; said it was from an old family friend." He presented a small box.

"Who's it from?" asked a curious London as she accepted the package and began to open it.

"What was it—Dawson was the last name I think...?" London raised an eyebrow as she opened the box and saw a jewelry box. It had a note attached, which London would read later. She brought it out so everyone could see and opened it. Her eyes widened and so did Zack's once the contents was revealed.

It was the Heart of the Ocean.

Zack and London looked at each other and held a silent conversation with their eyes and facial expressions. Seeing this, Tutweiller leaned into Moseby and whispered, "Something big has changed between them and I really want to know." Moseby nodded in agreement.

London and Zack finished their 'talk' and turned to the others in the room.

"Well—this actually confirms our story," London indicated the necklace. "You're our friends, so you deserve to know what this is and the story behind it. But you might wanna sit down."

Cody and the others looked at each other before finding seats on the floor or the bed.

"Okay, so this one time at band camp—" Everyone laughed at London's attempt to ease tension. "But no really. See, it all started a few days ago…"

* * *

London and Zack married as soon as the school year finished. And true to his word, London's father passed her the reins to Tipton Industries. Overnight, London became one of the most powerful women on Earth. With Zack and Moseby by her side, she turned the debt-ridden company that her father had left into the most influential and powerful on the globe.

London put Zack to manage the sports teams she owned, which included the Arizona Cardinals and the New Orleans Hornets. He brought both cities multiple championships and was one of the most respected team owners in all of sports. He also got involved in poker. He won the World Series of Poker four times and made millions, becoming the most successful poker player in the world. He donated all his winnings to various _Titanic_ societies and charities.

Moseby and Tutweiller married in 2012 and never looked back. London loved them like parents. Tutweiller taught for many years onward, and London signed over the hotel in Boston to Moseby, who had been in tears. He continued to manage it until his death in 2058. Tutweiller died a few months afterwards. London, Zack, and the others attended both their funerals, which hit London hard.

Cody and Bailey reconciled their differences and married during their freshman year at Harvard. They both worked for London for a few years during college, and they moved on to fulfill their ambitions once they graduated. Cody went on to win numerous Nobel Prizes in science and technology, where he thanked his brother Zack every time in his speeches. Bailey got heavily involved world affairs and went on to take seven Nobel Peace prizes for her work with children in developing countries, and later on, their daughter went on to finish Bailey's research into curing cancer. Sadly, they died in 2050 in the Amazon during one of their expeditions. They were both 57. Zack spoke at their funeral, citing how Cody had taught him respect and many other important aspects of life.

Zach was the first to pass away in 2081, leaving London as the only one from the group alive. They never had children because London was unable to. She took his death very hard, but she had vowed herself many years ago to continue on no matter what happened. She left the company in the hands of Moseby and Tutweiller's son, and she lived out the rest of her golden years surrounded by Cody, Bailey, Moseby, and Tutweiller's children and grandchildren. She passed away peacefully in her sleep in 2092 at the young age of 101, the last remaining Tipton.

London and Zack's adventure never came to light; Only Bailey, Cody, Maddie, Moseby, and Tutweiller had known the truth, and now their legacy is buried two and a half miles in the North Atlantic.

* * *

London stood up and brushed off imaginary dirt from her clothes—wait. '_What the hell?'_

London was not in her pajamas. Instead… she stared in wonder at her clothes. She was wearing an apple red dress with gold lace designs and a gold band around her waist. She hadn't worn that since… and _what the heck_! Instead of her flabby skin, it was silky smooth like it had been _many_ years ago.

It was then that she looked up. It took a moment to sink in, and when it did, tears filled her eyes. She struggled to keep them back as she looked around. None of the places she'd been ever looked like this. The deck she stood on looked exactly like the one where Zack had pushed her around on when they 'borrowed' that food cart eons ago…

"Nice of you to join us."

London turned toward the voice and froze solid; Rose Dawson strolled towards her, her red dress in pristine condition, a smile plastered across her face. "It can't be…" She blinked her eyes several times, but the red-haired woman was still approaching. She bent down and kissed London's cheek. "Long time no see."

"You're dead," was all London managed.

"So are you," Rose said, not missing a beat. "Zack thought you might be pretty stunned, so he sent me to escort you."

"Wait—**Zack** is here too?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" She held out her arm which London took.

"So…" London started hesitantly, "Is this really the _Titanic_?"

"Yep."

"And if Zack is here, does that mean everyone else—or mostly everyone—is here as well?"

"Yep. Even your other friends decided to join us." Rose almost laughed at London's shock. "Yes—Jack, I, and the others know about your…traveling experience. We kinda figured it out after your friend Moss-bee talked to us."

London chuckled at Rose's mispronunciation of Marion's name.

"Here we are." London realized where she was. The doorway in front of her was the entrance to the bottom of the Grand Staircase.

"Thank you Rose," London hugged the other woman tightly. "You're quite welcome—it's been a long time." Rose opened the door for London. "Go to him Miss Tipton."

London smiled, not being called by that name in nearly 60 years. She moved through the door and gasped. Not only was the staircase breathtakingly beautiful as it had been in its glory days, but there were people everywhere. There was a path cleared to the top of the steps, but she didn't dare look up just yet. She had to concentrate on just walking, and in doing so, ran smack into somebody and nearly plowed them into the ground.

"Watch it there young lady." Marion Moseby caught London before she hit the ground.

"Marion!" she exclaimed, "And Emma! What are you guys doing here—I don't mean that in a bad way—I'm just shocked to see you here is all."

"We were pretty shocked ourselves," Emma Moseby said. "We figure it's because we're all connected to each other. Families stick together, even in the afterlife you know."

London was stunned but managed a nod, saying she would talk to them later. Cody and Bailey were also there, as well as Maddie, who gave a small wave and blew London a kiss. Harold Lowe was there as well, chatting away with Lovejoy. They stopped and turned to London and gave her respectful nods.

London finally turned towards the steps and looked to the figure who had his back turned and was admiring the carved figures of Hope and Glory. He was wearing the same tux that he'd been wearing when she had dragged him away from Marion's party, sporting the long blonde hair that she had loved. He was chatting with Jack and must've said something funny, as Jack burst out laughing. He silenced himself when he saw London approaching, and was almost to him before he turned around, where her breath caught in her throat.

London stood there, not sure if this was just another one of her dreams. Zack reached his hand out and entwined his fingers with hers, sending electricity coursing though her veins.

"A dream wouldn't do this." Zack then grasped her waist and pulled her into him, where London instantly melted to his touch. She trembled as she tried to suppress her sobs. "It…it really **is** you."

"Well who were you expecting? Tom Cruise?" he joked, breaking the tension. London let out a short laugh. "I told you that would outlast all of us, and you didn't believe me."

London paused for a second before saying anything else. "Why Zack? Why the _Titanic?"_

"I don't think any of us can answer that. But I've spoken to a lot of people, and we've all come up with the same conclusion." He put an arm around her shoulder, "We believe that heaven—cause this sure ain't hell—is the place where they experience the best time of their life."

"But it was also the worst place," London took one of his hands into hers. "So many people lost—and what are Cody and the others doing here? They had nothing to do with this."

"They're here because they are our family. And families always stick together." He saw the look on London's face. "Yes, I stole that line from Emma. But we don't have a reason for the first part of your question."

"I love you," London said quietly.

Zack tried to blink away tears that threatened to spill out. "And I love you. Always and forever." He locked lips with London, and the two engaged in a steamy kissing session.

After a moment: "Oh god—please get a room."

London recognized the voice and turned. "Mr. Andrews!"

Andrews smiled widely. "Hello Ms. Tipt—er, **Mrs. Martin**," he corrected. "It's good to see you."

"And you!" London hugged the man.

"You have the most interesting friends—especially Miss Madeline," he noted. "She's a fantastic singer, and an even better person to boot."

"That's her all right. I'm glad that you—" London was interrupted when Zack lifted her off her feet and into his arms bridal style. "Damn it Andrews, stop hogging my wife," he joked, earning a laugh from several people throughout the room.

"She's all yours. Take good care of her." He smiled at the two and turned away and walked down the stairs. Everyone else began to disperse in different directions, wanting to leave the couple in private.

Zack carried London up the stairs and through the corridor to the familiarly marked oak door B58. He studied the door for a moment before saying, "Damn. Looks like I made a mistake."

"The hell are you talking about?" London asked curiously.

"I don't have an empty hand to open the door," Zack said grinning.

"Dipshit." London joked, and was rewarded with Zack's laughter. He put her down and opened the door, where they were met with 1912 elegance that London had seen many times in her dreams.

"Welcome home."


	10. Alt Ending

**This is the second (or alternate) ending. One of my most creative chapters. Now you can use either ending to your liking. This completes this story, which I enjoyed writing very much. Maybe one day I'll go back and edit out mistakes in previous chapters. I have some other ideas for SLOD stories, so be on the lookout. Again, try to ignore and goofs that you see. Review if you like - lol.**

* * *

**Alternate Ending**

_April 14__th__, 2011_

It had been two days since anybody had seen London or Zack, and Moseby was getting very worried. They hadn't showed up for class the first day (nothing new), but as they day passed, nobody had seen them, and when the second day rolled around with no sight of the two, everyone began to worry.

Currently, Moseby and the gang were sitting in Tutweiller's classroom discussing ideas as of what to do next. Moseby's walkie-talkie went off, where he picked it up. "What is it?"

"_There's a visitor here at the front desk sir," _Kirby's voice was recognizable, _"She's asking for you or Cody."_

"Not now! Can't you see we're dealing with a crisis?" Moseby answered irritably.

"_I know,"_ Kirby said, _"But I think you __**want**__ to take this one. She says she has information that'll help clear up the situation."_

"Fine. Escort her over." He clicked the device off.

"This is a ship," Tutweiller started, "There's only so many places they could be."

"But we've flipped this place upside-down—it's like they fell off the face of the Earth," Cody said, and it was clearly evident he was worried about his brother.

"What's weird," Bailey said, "Is that we tried calling their phones, but the message says their numbers don't exist."

Moseby just sighed heavily. Just then, Kirby entered with the visitor, causing him to turn. Everyone was clearly surprised to see the figure standing with Kirby.

"London…?" Moseby half asked, half said. Something didn't feel right. The woman looked exactly like her, except a year or two older. And where was Zack?

She carried a large brown box with her. "I get that from everybody," she said, and now everyone's expressions mirrored Moseby's confused one. "I'm looking for Marion Moseby or Cody Martin."

"Uh, y-yea, that's us," Cody answered just as skeptical.

"My name is Brenda Song," the young woman said, "Actually, now you mention it, my great-grandmother was London Martin."

"This isn't funny London," Moseby said, beginning to get angry, "Where the hell have you been? And where's Zack?"

The woman just sighed. "The last journal said this would be tough to sell, and damn was she right. Thing is, I've never met her or my great grandfather Zack, but I've learned loads about them after reading all of these journals. She wrote about you guys in past-tense, so it's kind of weird to see you all sitting here right in front of me."

"Just what exactly are you talking about? Journals?" Cody said, clearly not knowing what to believe anymore, just the same as everyone else in the room.

"Look," the woman reached into the box and retrieved a notebook, which was marked '**Read First!'** on the front, "I didn't believe any of it either, especially since my mom and grandma told me she basically went crazy after the death of Zack in 1982. But I've read all of these journals, which took almost two years, and the last entry is as clear cut as the very first one, and I've come to reason that London never was crazy at all. Although I had a tough time reading her handwriting, which strangely is in calligraphy."

"So you waltz in here and expect us to believe that your great grandparents are Zack and London? What proof do you have to this outlandish claim?" Tutweiller exclaimed, clearly not believing a word this imposter was trying to sell. Everyone else in the group nodded their heads in agreement.

"I know this sounds crazy, but at least read the first journal. It describes her and Zack's trip on the _Titanic. _And if you still don't buy into it after you've read through it, just Google their names. That's what I had to do," said Brenda, who was calm as ever.

_The Titanic? _Now everyone in the room was confused beyond reason. Nothing at the moment made any sense.

Moseby reached for the journal which Brenda had brought out and gingerly opened it up to the first page, where he read aloud.

_July 4__th__, 1984_

'_To whoever this may concern, you're probably wondering why the hell you're even reading this. And frankly, I'm still wondering why I am even able to tell you any of this. But this volume and the others proceeding it present the details of my and Zack's life from the sinking of the _Titanic_ on._

'_We've come to accept that our old lives are over, but the new lives we were given were nothing short of an amazing adventure. We've lived wonderful lives, but unfortunately, Zack passed away two years ago, and I know I will be joining him very soon. We have no regrets about our lives—it's just that it started in the most unexpected way.'_

'_Again, to whoever is reading this, I'm giving you the task of delivering the content of this box to either Marion Moseby or Cody Martin, who should either be aboard the _SS Tipton_ or the Tipton Hotel in Boston. Now, it is __absolutely __imperative__ that this is not done before April 12__th__, 2011, for your very existence could depend upon this. You'll probably find that they'll be very grateful to receive this, as it'll answer many (if not all) of their questions.'_

"I've always wondered why it was so important to wait after the 12th. What's the difference if I gave you this when I first found it?" asked Brenda.

"That's when they went missing," Cody spoke up. "Theoretically, if any of this is true, then by showing up even a day too early could've ruined the timeline, as Zack and London could have possibly never ended up like they did. That's just speculation though, because three days ago, you didn't exist to us and they were standing right here live and in color."

Moseby just frowned. "I don't know what to believe anymore, but I'm going to read what's in this book, which will hopefully give us some insight on to what the hell is exactly going on." He cleared his throat and began to read aloud again.

'_It all started on April 12__th__ during one of Moseby's boring parties…'_

"See! I told you your parties sucked!" Woody exclaimed, earning chuckles from everyone except Moseby.

* * *

Eight hours later

'_Jack, Rose, Zack, and I stared up at the Statue of Liberty not knowing what the rest of our lives would bring us. But yet we were perfectly content with that, knowing it would be alright in the end.'_

After Moseby finished, nobody spoke for several minutes. It was nearly three in the morning now, but everyone had been too engrossed in the story to care about the time.

"My god…" Tutweiller finally spoke, a tear running down her face, "I can't even begin to imagine what they went through."

"I believe every word of it," Cody said, who had been silent the whole story while everyone else commented throughout, "Nobody in their right mind could ever make something like this up." He had never loved his brother as much as he did until this moment. He was now the man Cody himself aspired to be.

"There's still one missing piece. This still doesn't explain what they were doing there in the first place!" noted Marcus.

"Wait—there's more," Moseby flipped the page.

'_You're probably wondering why this doesn't explain how or why we're here. But I can't give you that answer because neither I nor Zack know. And to be honest, I don't think we want to know. The only thing that does sadden us is that we won't be able to witness our family with the hotel and the ship live out their lives. But we both know that you'll eventually move on without us and live long fulfilling lives.'_

'_Furthermore, you're maybe wondering why Zack hasn't written any journals? Well that's simple; he was always too damn lazy to remember to put the parking brake on the fucking car (our house is on a hill), so what makes you think he'll bother to even pick up a pen? (Sorry, my vocab has become quite vulgar—a product from being around Zack for too damn long…hehe). Although I do talk about him a lot—he is my husband after all!—he never knew these journals existed._

"There are probably at least three journals of nothing but Zack, and probably the same amount talking about you guys." Brenda reached into the box and pulled out many more journals. "There are 54 in all. The one you're reading is actually her last one. She died two weeks later at the ripe young age of 92."

"Uh guys…" Bailey was sitting in front of her laptop, "I decided to look them up. And if this doesn't convince you, nothing else will." Cody looked as Moseby then made his way behind Bailey as did everyone else, wanting to see what she found.

"Okay, so I googled both of their names, and the first thing that came up was the _Titanic_. After a little digging, I found this," she pulled up a page. "They're names are listed among the survivors—see that?" she pointed to the screen, and they all saw the two names: 'London Coraline Virginia Tipton' and 'Zackary James Martin'.

"I even managed to find a picture of them that's in color." She then pulled a picture, and everyone gasped.

"That's them." Cody realized there was now no doubt in his mind. He knew his brother when he saw him, past or present.

"And that's London—I'd recognize her even if I was blind." Moseby then added seeing two others in the picture, "That's must be their friends Jack and Rose."

"It is," said Brenda. "London mentions them a lot in her journals, saying they were all attached to each other. Matter of fact, Rose went on to live the longest and died in 1997. Jack died around the same time Zack did."

"There are thousands of articles on them, but I came across something really strange." They all looked at Bailey, not knowing how things could get any stranger. "You sure you want me to tell you this?'

"Yes damn it!" Cody exclaimed, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

Bailey sighed heavily. "Well, according to the internet, and more importantly history, it says that Mr. Tipton has no children. I thought it was an error, so I dug even deeper, but there's nothing to indicate that London was even _born_ in 1990 like she was supposed to be. The same goes with Zack. Basically, there's no record of them at all after 1984."

"So what are you saying?" said Maya.

Bailey sighed even deeper than last time. "The London and Zack that we've come to know never existed."

Nobody said a word as they let this possibility, and they all knew it—_truth_—sink in.

"So…they're gone forever." Moseby said. It wasn't a question.

"No. They do exist, but now only in our memories and throughout history…" Cody trailed off, filling the room with silence. Nobody kept the time as they sorted through their own thoughts, but one by one, somebody left the room either to sleep or be alone. Eventually, Cody, Moseby, and Brenda were the only ones left in the room.

"So you're the famous Marion Moseby and Cody Martin," Brenda said, taking a seat and looking out the window, where the sun was actually beginning to rise. It was now 5am.

"That's us," Moseby said, also taking his own seat, as did Cody.

"She had a lot to say about you two—especially Marion." Brenda recalled reading about him through London's journals. She nearly filled a whole book writing about him.

"She loved you more than her actual father." Brenda resumed, looking at Moseby's face for a reaction.

After a short silence, he said, "I know."

"And your brother—" she turned to Cody, "He loved you as well. London says he frequently talked about you being his idol."

Pride swelled in Cody's chest, and he smiled for the first time in nearly three days.

Brenda flashed her own smile, but it disappeared when she turned back towards Moseby. "You look sad."

"It's tough…I did love her like she was my own daughter. I've known her for her whole life. Hell—I taught her more things than her own father ever could. And no matter what she did, I was always proud of her. And now she's gone…" Cody and Brenda knew the man was taking the absence of London harder than everyone else. "I'll take me a long time, but I'll eventually get over it."

"So will I," added Cody, putting a hand on Moseby's shoulder for comfort.

Brenda smiled and let them be for a few minute before pressing on. "So, what are you guys going to do now?"

Moseby and Cody turned and looked at each other.


End file.
